Summer Festival Guide
Craig Charles and Andy Kershaw added to Wychwood 2015 lineup
Soul and funk maestro Craig Charles is back by popular demand, armed with an extensive collection of dance floor hits to raise the beats and bass of the Big Top attracting thousands of Wychwood revellers to dance the Sunday away. Excited to be invited back, Craig comments, “We Play funk & We Play Soul, 3rd Year back at Wychwood Festival’s Big Top, lets have it!”. Saturday's Big Top invites another legendary DJ to take to the stage with Andy Kershaw. The much lauded DJ started his broadcasting career at Radio One in 1985 where he presented for 15 years delivering an incredibly eclectic range of music inviting dance fans to enjoy his irresistible tunes that span Soukouss to salsa, roots reggae to Rai, Soca to South African Township Jive. Speaking about his Wychwood debut Andy says, "I'm thrilled and flattered to be invited to DJ at Wychwood this year. Many friends have told me it's a delightful festival and the perfect gathering, with the best crowd, for me to get the place jumping to some red hot African and Caribbean dance music."
CBBC favourites Dick and Dom have reigned supreme on television becoming pan-generational household names. Entertaining children and parents up and down the country for the past seventeen years with their unstoppable range of comedy sketch shows and silliness they are now the most recognisable children's television presenters. The pair are responsible for the BAFTA-award-winning Dick and Dom in da Bungalow and BAFTA nominated Diddy Movies as well as authors in their own right with Slightly Naughty But Very Silly Words and the hilarious new handbook Whoopee Book of Practical Jokes. The dynamic duo head up Wychwood’s very own Children's Literature Festival in association with Waterstones, with an interactive show. The rest of the programme will be coming soon.
London based promoters Smashing Blouse who take the reigns of the The Big Top, have announced their second wave of artists. Famous for showcasing the best in up-and-coming artists, previous years have seen Bipolar Sunshine, Wolf Alice and Kyla La Grange all perform Wychwood. This year Ghostpoet and Fickle Friends will be joined by Black Honey, Ted Zed, Jamie T's tour support, Palace and Zane Lowe's future radio of 2015, Demob Happy.
Professor Green, Wretch 32 and more join Camp Bestival 2015 lineup
We are massively excited once again to be able to announce a bill-topping slot from the man, the legend, Mr Tumble. A true force of nature, the utter hysteria surrounding a Mr Tumble performance at Camp Bestival makes Beatlemania look like a Black Lace come back. The wildest high jinx are guaranteed from the number one kids’ clown, so whatever you do, don’t dare miss Mr Tumble when he assumes his throne at Lulworth Castle!
Joining our three previously announced headliners, we’ll have loads more brilliant live music from the likes of Hackney’s finest, Professor Green and lyrical gymnast, Wretch 32, who commented “I’m extremely excited to be coming to play for my fans at Camp Bestival, expect a special show! See you in the summer!”
We’ll also have Mercury Prize nominee and long-time Camp Bestival favourite Kate Tempest, world famous philanthropist and sometime Boomtown Rat Bob Geldof, legendary dance machine Soul II Soul, 80s pop powerhouse, Level 42, incredible chanteuse Alison Moyet, the silky voiced Ella Eyre, funk and rare groove legends, Cymande, proper Manchester rave crew 808 State, original punk-pop geniuses Buzzcocks, turntable maestro DJ Yoda, and funny funkers, The Cuban Brothers.
Bringing new meaning to the word campfire, we’ll also have all out action from psychedelic warriors The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, in your face duo Slaves, bubble gum upstarts Only the Young, BBC Sound of 2015 finalist George the Poet, folk royaltyEliza Carthy, and Australian male vocal group The Spooky Men's Chorale. Plus we’ll have raucous times with Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, Ekkah, The Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band, Weymouth Ukeleleans, Sinful Maggie, Folk Idol andReggaerobics.
Back on board and chomping at the bit to go wild with us, we have a host of Camp Bestival favourites with brand new shows, including the Insect Circus, West End Kids, BRIT School, Royal Albert Hall Albert’s Band and the award winning Funky Little Choir. We’ll have wild workshops aplenty from BRIT School, West End Kids and Workshop Patrol. And brand spanking new for 2015, prepare to be amazed by The Chrysalis Garden, our fabulous new spa and well-being area, and The Train Trip, an astonishing mini carnival on the right side of the tracks, plus there will be truly Wild Adventures with our biggest, bestest and wildest activities yet!
The Boomtown Rats to headline Watchet Festival 2015
Fronted by the infamous Sir Bob Geldof, The Boomtown Rats have been storming festivals since the classic line up of Bob Geldof, Simon Crowe, Garry Roberts and Pete Briquette re-formed in 2013. With a huge back catalogue of Top 10 hits including Rat Trap (the first UK No.1 by an Irish band), Someones Looking At You, Banana Republic and of course the ubiquitous multi-million selling I Dont Like Mondays, this is set to be the biggest Saturday night performance that Watchet Live Festival have ever hosted.
Sunday nights headliners are the magnificent Big Country. Formed in Dunfermline in the early 80s the band went on to have a string of hits and four Top 10 albums, including 1984s Steel Town, which went to Number 1.
Also headling the billing are 80s New Wave legends The Blow Monkeys, the always-entertaining Dr & The Medics, double-necked guitar wizard John Otway along with long-term collaborator Wild Willy Barrett, Merry Hell, Tankus The Henge and many many more and there are still 2 major main stage headliners yet to be announced!
Acts revealed for Disclosure & Rudimental present Wild Life Festival
WILD LIFE was created by Disclosure in early summer 2014 as an extension of their hugely successful live and DJ shows. What began as tiny and very sweaty east London parties, soon grew into a global prospect within a matter of months and found Disclosure curating events in major cites across the world and hosting stages at various festivals in the UK, EU and US. These included WILD LIFE line-ups at Glastonbury, Unknown, Exit Festival as well as bespoke events at The Greek Theatre in Berkley, Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Detroit and a summer residency at Space in Ibiza.
Now to 2015 – less than a year later, they have reached out to their good friends Rudimental in order to put together their most exciting event to date…
The first ever WILD LIFE festival – right here in the UK. The two day event, solely curated by both bands, will be held in the grounds of Brighton City Airport on June 6th & 7th 2015.
The intention of WILD LIFE has always been to curate line-ups comprised of artists and DJs that Disclosure love which they then turn into incredible parties in exciting locations around the world. With the integral input of Rudimental, they’ve brought together musicians from different genres and eras – from hip hop, techno, pop, UK garage, as well as old and new house legends – for this inaugural WILD LIFE festival.
Disclosure said:
"We’re both so excited to announce the creation of WILD LIFE Festival! And so so proud to have been able to curate an amazing line up along side our good mates, Rudimental. What a weekend this is going to be!"
Rudimental added:
'To be able to curate our own festival with our favourite acts in partnership with our friends Disclosure is a dream come true. We are expecting the weekend to be unforgettable and to make history with this collaboration is a real pleasure'.
ARTISTS REVEALED SO FAR:
DISCLOSURE / RUDIMENTAL / SAM SMITH / GEORGE EZRA /
WU TANG CLAN / ANNIE MAC / SETH TROXLER / JAMIE XX / DAVID RODIGAN / MAYA JANE COLES b2b HEIDI
Headliners announced for End of the Road Festival 2015
Torres
Kylie Minogue to headline British Summer Time Hyde Park 2015
Balaton Sound announce first set of acts for 2015
2015 for the MasterCard Balaton Sound audience starts with a promising line-up of DJ’s including Hardwell, Nicky Romero, Afrojack, DVBBS, Showtek and more already confirmed to provide the beat for the 4 day long beach party by Lake Balaton in Hungary. As in previous years, in 2014 Balaton Sound closed its gates with a full house of 145 000 fans. In 2015 the event will take place on the 9-12 July, where the program will be mind-blowing, the beach will be refreshing and the festival will ultimately be the best 4 days of the summer.
The organizers of Balaton Sound always aim for the biggest international stars of electronic music and 2015 is no different as the first 15 names are revealed. The party never stops in Zamárdi and all-star acts such as,Hardwell, Nicky Romero and Grammy award winning DJ and producer, Afrojack, will provide the music. In addition DVBBS, Boys Noize, Showtek and British singer and songwriter, Charli XCX, will be bringing good vibes to Balaton Sound this summer. Among the names we can also find Joey Bada$$, the brilliant multi-dimensional Berlin duo Pan-Pot and Dutch DJ and producer Quintino. The Sound crowd will definitely remember the shows by Vinai, Roni Size & Reprazent, Chris Liebing and SBCR DJ, also known as Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo from The Bloody Beetroots.
Boomtown Fair 2015 DSTRKT 5 first lineup announcement
BoomTown Fair have kick started six weeks of intensive line up announcements with the bass heavy playground of DSTRKT 5. As the festival is made up of eight very different ‘districts’ which celebrate a variety of individual music genres and cultures from Ska to Jungle, Reggae to Folk and a whole load more in between and beyond, the line ups are released district by district. First out is the bass mecca of DSTRKT 5, which true to form will be hosting some of the most innovative trailblazers in the genre including; Squarepusher, Noisia, Spor, Machinedrum, Metalheadz takeover and Surgeon to name a few, resulting in a powerhouse of a bass line-up and the perfect soundtrack for BoomTown’s unveiling of a the brand new colossus of a centre-stage for DownTown, The Palace, which is all set to be the UKs largest fully immersive festival dance arena.
Taking place over 13th – 16th August in Matterley Estate – Hampshire, BoomTown have now released the final part of the ‘Chapter 7: The Introduction’ trilogy that, like any expertly crafted drum and bass track, has slowly built up over Part One and Part Two to the ultimate drop with the new monstrous dance stage and its phenomenal line-up unleashed on the eagerly waiting viewers in Part Three! The brand new nine-story 3600 surround arena set, that promises to be exceptionally loud, will be dominated by a finely crafted selection of heavy weight bass warriors!!
Ready to storm the new Palace stage with a brand new live show, is boundary pushing maverick Squarepusher. Renowned for mixing up apocalyptic dystopian sounds and electronic beats so obscure they border on extra-terrestrial with jaw-dropping live bass guitar solos to the backdrop of mesmerizing visuals: BoomTown bass lovers are in for one genuinely mind-blowing experience this summer with the combination of Squarepusher and one of the most insane festival stages the UK will have ever witnessed!!
Keeping Squarepusher good company on The Palace stage will be the dark, solid drum and bass of Spor, unchallenged trio of drum and bass mastery Noisia, tough techno and murky industrial beats of Surgeon live set, an almighty showcase of 20 years of Metalheadz with Goldie b2b Dillinja, Ulterior Motive b2b Dom and Roland, Jubei b2b Ant tc1, hosted by SP:MC and no stranger to fictional cities, Machinedrum will be introducing his Vapour City and all its surging bass to the good citizens of Boom City!
Next up in DSTRKT 5 is the iconic BoomBox stage, towering an impressive 40ft, this giant ghetto blaster emits some of the most legendary sounds in the entire of DownTown. Chapter 7 will be no different with an unbelievably exciting 10hr takeover from two ultimate legends: Norman Jay MBE and Mr Scruff present…Keep the Good Times Unreal!! Other acts to be found on the BoomBox include: seminal producerDeekline, Canadian glitch-hop maestro Stickybuds, the ultimate dancefloor demolition men Scratch Perverts and an Inspected Recordsshowcase ft: Culprate, Emperor, Asa, Sorrow, ZES, Inspector Dubplate, plus loads more…
Whilst over in the fully expanded, upgraded and sound proofed BodyShop, gabba, mashup and hardcore techno reign supreme with the prolificLuke Vibert; PRSPKT Takeover (with Hellfish vs Producer, Bryan Fury, Thrasher, Switch Technique) Simon Underground; Vandal; Bizzy B, Randall (92-94); Jerome Hill; Crystal Distortion; Renegade Hardware 20th Anniversary Takeover plus more…
On top of these main stages in DSTRKT 5 there will also be a Renegade Street Party hosted by none other than underground soundsytem and pioneers of social justice through coming together of communities, SP23. Forged at the heart of the Spiral Tribe sound system, SP23 will be back in the UK this summer for the first time in 20 years and bringing a true piece of historic party culture back to where it all began.
Fatboy Slim and Clean Bandit lead lineup for new festival Common People
A man that can effortlessly start a party and get it bouncing before he’s even dropped the second tune, Fatboy Slim is the master, a true king amongst men, and one of our favourite DJs ever. From the likes of Everybody Needs a 303 and Gangster Trippin’ to recent top ten smash Eat Sleep Rave Repeat, Norman Cook has soundtracked some of the greatest moments of our lives, we’re massively proud to have him onboard for the launch of our brand new show, and we can’t wait to welcome him to Southampton Common on Saturday 23rd May as Common People’s first ever headliner!
Commenting on his headline slot, and quoting a classic tune in an exclusive video just for us,Fatboy Slim said: “Living in the love of the common people, smiles from the heart of a family man. Momma’s gonna buy you a dream to cling to, Fatboy’s gonna love you just as much as he can. And he can. Join me on Southampton Common with the Bestival family, 23rd May.”
Warming the cockles for the big event on the Isle of Wight this September, Common People will also have live sets on Saturday 23rd May from daisy age hip-hop legends De La Soul, sick beatmeister Jaguar Skills, and Sound of 2015 hot tip George the Poet, plus Plastic Mermaids, our Battle of the Bands winner, Funky Little Choir, and Lycra-clad enigma Mr Motivator.
Sunday 24th May capers will feature a very special guest indeed who will be announced very soon, plus live action from pop behemoth Clean Bandit, who will be showcasing their inimitable brand of classical riffs with a healthy dose of baroque pop nous for all the Common People. With their chart topping smash Rather Be racking up over a million sales, making it the third biggest selling tune of 2014, and their debut album New Eyes reaching the top three, Clean Bandit are a proper big deal and we couldn’t be happier that they’re joining us.
We’ll also have hometown riffers Band of Skulls, who said of their Common People appearance “We are extremely happy and proud to be playing Common People festival. We grew up here in Southampton and the common has played a big part in our lives. Hometown shows are always great, this will be extra special. See you in May”.
And there will be even more Sunday joy with authentic rock n rollers Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, incendiary two-piece Slaves, cut & paste master DJ Yoda, funky breakdance geniuses The Cuban Brothers, 6 Music funk aficionado Craig Charles and West End Kids.
Bestival’s creative team will be flexing visionary moves, taking the spirit of Bestival to the heart of Southampton, transforming the common into a world of wonder. Amongst the hysteria you will find plenty of mind-boggling Common People antics including the woven magic of Yarn Bombing, legendary Mr Motivator Workouts, and psychedelic 19th century salon, The People's Front Room.
There will also be plenty of opportunities to have a small libation with an array of stunning bars, including the vintage vibes of the Day of the Dead Margarita Lounge Bar featuring cabaret, rock n roll, alternative, world and gypsy music, fantastically exotic concoctions from Josie da Bank’s super chic Jam Jar Bar and lavish behaviour at the VIP Hospitality Bar. A huge selection of delicious treats from cocktails and craft beers to lip-smacking afternoon teas and a tantalising selection of the finest Streetfood vendors around will delight the most adventurous of souls and keep you all coming back for more.
A whole host of fantastical fun, daytime diversions, amusements and good times will entertain one and all including, Bigtopmania Circus, Lost & Found, Tree House Theatre, Big Foot the Clown Show, The Fez Heads, Big Bears Big Balloon Disco, Big Bubble Bash, Trapeze lessons, Circus Skills, Crazy Inflatable bundle madness, Face Painting, Toddlers Play Area, Craft tents, Welly Wanging, Morris Dancing, Hoedowns, and Brass Bands.
Much like at sister festivals Bestival and Camp Bestival, The Big Top at Common People will play host to some of the most exciting underground electronic music the world has to offer. Saturday will see Junk at the controls with sets from Dusky, Huxley, Dense & Pika, Leon Vynehall, Luca Pilato and Jordan McKinlay. Switch takes over on Sunday with Chicago house legend Derrick Carter taking pride of place, with sets from Rob da Bank, Friend Within, Toyboy & Robin, and Muddywellies. We’ll also have Southampton’s illustriousJoiners adding to the mix in our new bands tent, and plenty more to boot.