IT never rains then it pours.

Well, anyone who has tried to watch music outdoors lately will may well argue that it always rains and pours – but as far as music festivals go, that long period of seasonal drought is well and truly over, replaced by a glut of great events.

Take this Saturday, when Oxford music-lovers have to divide themselves three ways to enjoy three fabulous mini-festivals.

We have Irregular Folks on Hogacre Common, All Tamara's Parties at The Perch and, on the roof of the Said business School, The Kids Are Alright.

All have a great line-up, which in Tamara's case, is a veritable Who's Who of the more laid-back end of the Oxford music scene.

We are particularly excited by the return of The Epstein, who's blend of expansive America, laid back country-rock and moments of soulful purity seem to epitomise summer in the shire.

Then there are those Eastern-European flavoured indie-party people Balkan Wanderers, who are no doubt still riding high after their headline slot at Common People festival last month.

Also playing are Black Casino & The Ghost, Rainbow Reservoir, The August List, Nia, Ags Connolly, Caroline Bird, Luke Kennard, and Death of the Maiden.

The Kids Are Alright – named in homage to The Who and because it raises money for children's charities – is a real gem, set far from the madding crowd, on the roof of the Said Business School, in Frideswide Square.

Bands include rday returns to its lofty heights in the business school amphitheatre. Bands include The Fusion Project, Great Western Tears, La Phooka, Cooper Black, Peerless Pirates, The Long Insiders and Anthony's own band The Shapes.

This year's beneficiaries are Bellhouse-Drayson Ward and Juvenile Diabetes, both at the John Radcliffe Hospital, and All As One UK.

"It's a festival in an evening; an exhibition of great local music, with an opportunity for lots of local bands to get to play to an audience and for people to get to hear a selection of what’s available in Oxford," says organiser Anthony Kelly of The Shapes.

"It is a unique venue for the area," he says. "Where else in Oxfordshire is there an amphitheatre?"

And, if it rains? "We have an indoors option so people don’t have to get wet. Luckily we haven’t had to use that option yet and we have put in an order for good weather this weekend, so hope we don’t have to this year either."

He laughs: "The rain threatened for some time near the end of our second event, but held off until 10 minutes after the show ended, when the crew had packed everything electrical away. Then the heavens opened and it poured with rain, which meant that any spilt drinks in the amphitheatre were washed away without us having to do any mopping.