The tents have been packed, the artists have departed, and the mud-churned pathways at Henham Park, near Southwold, can begin to recover. But as the Latitude Festival finishes for another year, reporter Ben Woods has picked his 10 memorable moments, and his twelve favourite pictures, to inspire some post-festival smiles.

Latitude Festival: 10 memorable moments.

1. FIREWORKS: Elbow's rousing performance on Saturday night was punctuated by a dazzling fireworks display above Henham Park which festival-goers were still talking about come Sunday morning.

2. HEADLINE SURPRISE: Many questioned whether Bon Iver could carry a main stage performance. But the artist surprised many when he delivered an atmospheric and stirring set.

3. WATER-BORNE ENTRANCE: Classical pianist Lang Lang arrived by boat for his open-air performance at The Waterfront Stage on Sunday. Crowds packed both sides of the river bank to hear his deft-finger work as sunshine finally emerged on Sunday.

4. FESTIVAL FOOD: The variety of street food on offer at Latitude was exceptional. From greasy fry-ups to Wild Boar rolls, foodies and festival-goers were kept well fuelled during the course of the event.

5. MUD: Dare we speak its name. Whether you were squelching through the woods, or panicking about your car getting stuck, mud was the word on everyone's lips. Organisers did well to cope with heavy rain, and disruption was kept to a minimum thanks to the odd scattering of wood chip.

6. SCIENCE LESSONS: Latitude is well known for its extra helpings of theatre, comedy, dance and literature. But science also found a strong following when people swarmed the Comedy Arena to hear physicist Professor Brian Cox in BBC Radio 4 show, The Infinite Monkey Cage.

7. HAUNTING: Some would argue she was worthy of a slot on the main stage. Still; Lana Del Rey's haunting vocals were given a perfect home in the darkened confines of the Word Arena on Friday.

8. WALKING ON WATER: Many may have missed the graduate fashion show. But the beautiful models walking across the river was a magical sight near The Waterfront Stage.

9. YOUTUBE LAUGHS: Comic Adam Buxton's show may only be a presentation of his favourites video clips. But his hilarious act drew huge crowds to the Film and Music Arena on Saturday afternoon – and there were chants for more when his allotted time came to a close.

10. BIG VOICE: DJ Mark Lamarr is renowned for celebrating unsung musical talent. But many were surprised by the powerful voice of tiny jump rhythm and blues singer Gizzelle. The artist flew in from Los Angeles for a special performance in the Film and Music Arena late on Saturday night. Festival-goers were left stunned when it was revealed she only met her backing band that day.

Do you have a memorable moment from Latitude Festival 2012? Tell us by leaving your comments below, or take a look at the 12 best pictures in our photo gallery above.