Wilderness Festival

First up, the roster of chefs is now even more superlative with the addition of Raymond Blanc OBE and Sweden’s Niklas Ekstedt alongside Angela Hartnett. Raymond Blanc, he needs little introduction. As one of the world’s finest chefs, his banquet will be highly anticipated indeed! From his role as Chef Patron of Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, to presenting TV series such as Kew On a Plate and The Restaurant, Blanc’s influence on the culinary landscape is wide and far-ranging, and It is an honour indeed to welcome him to the Wilderness family in 2015. Hailing from Stockholm, Ekstedt has perfected his own culinary style, cooking totally without electricity or gas over open flames, with perfect smoke skills and hot coals as his tools of the trade. His Stockholm restaurant EKSTEDT was voted an impressive second in Zagat’s list of the best restaurants in the world in 2013 too, so this is a rare opportunity to taste Ekstedt’s food in the UK. As for

Music-wise, 2015 is proving to be damn near unbeatable, with some of the hottest up and coming artists all coming on board. 21 year old Icelandic sensation Asgeir will enchant crowds with his beautifully melancholic songs and unusual poetry, while, on the other end of the geographic spectrum, Sahara Desert native Bombino will dazzle with his particular brand of world music meets rock and roll soul. XL Recordings will also deliver an exhilarating one-two punch, with two of their hottest new artists in the form of Southport electronic virtuoso Lapsley and disco funk princeling Shamir, hailing from Las Vegas. Legendary dance pioneer Damien Lazarus & The Ancient Moons will be also be appearing at Cornbury Park this year. Rounding up the main stage are CC Smugglers, self-made showmen who worked their way up from young street performers to playing some of the biggest venues and festivals in Europe.

Meanwhile, in the Hidden Valley, a roll call of the finest DJ talent are bursting forth, with Hercules and Love Affair vocalist cum underground house producer Kim Ann Foxman leading the charge with her raw electronic music, along with a very rare set from the elusive and mythical DJ Harvey and the world renowned Tom Middleton, who has been redefining the musical landscape for about 25 years now. Also along for the ride are Amsterdam’s Rush Hour founder Antal, weaving house and techno spells with Afro and disco magic, Felix Dickinson, one of the champions of the burgeoning dance underground and partystarting Leeds duo PBR Streetgang, Also appearing are Mojo Filter, the production and remix incarnation of Ben Zaven Crane, championed by the likes of Todd Terje and Chemical Brothers for his relentless quest for new and unheard cosmic frequencies, funk/ soul/ disco enthusiast and LWR programme controller YOMS, and Ollie Keens, who has shared stages with everyone from Grandmaster Flash to Jackmaster.

For those who want a more relaxed vibe, there is an absolutely staggering and deliciously varied buffet of gorgeous folk bands on offer at the Travelling Folk Barn, from the Eastern European vibes of The Turbans, to the beat pop melodies of The Buffalo Skinners; the West Coast Americana of Goodnight Lenin to Canadian wunderkind Zachary Lucky. Every stripe and flavour of folk is catered for here, so dive in and enjoy the smorgasbord.

Elsewhere, on the Carousel Stage, Shangri-La’s Chris Tofu has curated a weird and wonderful roster of diverse musical marvels, including The Brass Funkeys, who draw from New Orleans’ rich musical history to create a hypnotic blend of gypsy, swing and Latin funk, Bristol’s six piece theatrical showband Carny Villains, Duffy Moonshine Big Band, who meld big band with modern basslines and chunky beats to stunning effect, astonishing 13 piece Balkan brass monolith Trans Siberian March Band, and the 60s indebted, pan-Atlantic musical stylings of Voodoo Love Orchestra, among others. 

The Juke Joint, presented by Petersham Road, is set to transform Cornbury Park to a blues shaking paradise with a line-up stuffed to the gills with marquee acts from the UK blues scene. Big Joe Louis, whose collaborative history spans from Muddy Waters to Van Morrison, are sure to enthrall with their take on down-home Chicago blues. From Chicago to New Orleans, Piano auteur Diz and The Doormen evoke a potent gumbo of Barrel House, Rhythm and Blues and boogie-woogie, whilst Errol Linton’s raw Brixton inspired blues offers an invigorated guise on a defining genre.

Always bringing new venues, performances and formats to reinvent and reimagine the festival, Wilderness 2015 also sees an array of festival firsts, including the Saturday Night Spectacular still to come, a new collaboration with Village Productions The Clubhouse, the brand new fine arts venue – The Wilderness Art Studio, A new musical project to join the festival’s own orchestra – the Wilderness Choir and a fire walking ceremony.

Music and food aside, another thing Wilderness has always done well is tapping into a more intellectual vein as well, with the Talks and Debates on offer always a standout. To that end, apart from previously announced participants such as Sunday Papers Live, The Sunday Assembly, Guerrilla Archaeology, The V&A Talks and more, this year will also see participants such as GQ’s award winning editor Dylan Jones, Matthew Taylor, the Chief Executive of the RSA, historian and television presenter Dan Snow, comedian Dom Joly speaking on the ups and downs of celebrity life and Marigold Hotel author Deborah Moggach and famed philosopher John Lanchester. This is just a taster of the myriad speakers and thinkers to be announced in the coming weeks…

Equally essential at this multi-arts festival is the Theatre and Arts program, with one of the centerpieces being the V&A: From Woodstock to Wilderness. Curated by V&A Theatre and Performance curators Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh, who put together the singular David Bowie smash hit exhibition, this explores the cultural and political upheavals of the late 60s and the explosive sense of freedom of the era expressed in festivals, music, art, fashion, design, TV, film, photography, performance and literature. Then there’s also the Wilderness Orchestra, who, on their return engagement will be playing live orchestra of film scores, and Shlomo’s Vocal Orchestra will also be present and correct to blow festivalgoers’ minds. Additionally, The Artful Badger will be back with more animal antics in the forest, and concert guitarist Richard Durrant will also be on hand with his richly romantic, truly virtuosic guitar playing which breaks all musical boundaries.

Throw in a whole host of family activities including Rhubarb Theatre and Cardboard Kingdom, and workshops focusing on costumes and wild creatures, as well as Wellbeing goings-on like Meditation with Headspace, Massage and Facials with Neal’s Yard Remedies products, Paddle Board Yoga, Hot Pod Yoga, workshops and more, and you have a glorious festival getaway from it all that will truly feel like an entirely unique experience like no other.

— LIVE MUSIC & DANCING  —
Bjork
George Clinton, Parliament & Funkadelic
Perform Return to the Mothership
Ben Howard
Roisin Murphy, Hercules & Love Affair, Nick Mulvey,
Nils Frahm, Brandt Bauer Frick Ensemble, Caravan Palace
Ibibio Sound Machine, Will & The People, Benjamin Clementine

JUST ANNOUNCED
Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moons
Asgeir
Shamir
Bombino
Lapsley
CC Smugglers

More music announced…

— GASTRONOMY —
Long-Table Banquets from Michelin-starred Chefs
JUST ANNOUNCED
Raymond Blanc
Joining Wilderness for the first time

Alongside Wilderness’ first international chef
Niklas Ekstedt

Of Stockholm’s EKSTEDT

&
Angela Hartnett
Chef Patron of Murano

Feasting in Field Restaurants
Hix
Moro
Petersham Nurseries

The Chef’s Table
Nuno Mendes
Scott Hallsworth
James Knappett
Neil Borthwick

The Wilderness Cookery School with Daylesford

The Valley DJs Announced
DJ Harvey
Kim Ann Foxman
Tom Middleton
Francesca Lombardo
Andy Butler
Antal
Felix Dickinson
PBR Streetgang
Flying Sorcerer
Ollie Keens

Across the festival as nighttime descends
An evening with…
Ronnie Scott’s (In The Grand Spiegel)
The Juke Joint by Petersham Road
The Carousel Stage from Shangri La’s Chris Tofu
The Travelling Folk Camp with Front Room Songs, Woodburner Music, Two For Joy Music, The Local & EFDSS
The Candlelight Club in The Orangery
Aerial Spectaculars From Gorilla Circus

The Revellers Village
Side shows, performers, circus, theatre, camps and trickery
The Artful Badger
Rumpus
Shotgun Carousel Processions & Performance
Tarot Readers
Bonfire Stages
Late Night Bars
A Curious Invitation – Natural History Tent
Masque The Rage
Divine Company
Travelling Gazebo Rave

Theatre, Arts & Performance
Old Vic New Voices, Oxford Shakespeare Company, Acrojou, The River People & The Waggon Band, Son & Sons, The RSPLB (Royal Society of Pursuits of Love Birds), Friends of the Earth Camp, Prince Charles Cinema, The Wilderness Orchestra, Diana Yukawa, Avi Avital, The Return of Champagne Laurent Perrier Orangery

Original new works
Foolish People – “The Woods Trapped at the Edge of Midnight”
Battersea Arts Centre – “The Archivists”
Opera Holland Park – “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
Opera North – “The Devil’s Jukebox”

— FESTIVAL FIRSTS FOR WILDERNESS —
Wilderness introduces
The Saturday Night Spectacle
The Wilderness Art Studio
The Wilderness Choir
The Fire Walking Ceremony

The Grand Spiegel
Camille O’Sullivan
The Tiger Lillies
BitterSuite – “A Sensory Concert”
40 Winks Bedtime Stories for Grown Ups
Perfume Making Workshop
Robin Collective Tastings
Cocktail Making Masterclasses
Tango and Flamenco Classes

THE BANDSTAND SUPPORTED BY TIME OUT
Aurora / Jally Kebba Susso + Manding Sabu / Jeremy Loops
Lone Wolf / Lloyd Yates / Frances / They Say Jump
The Joe Strummer Foundation
Bare Hunter / Swing Patrol / Hip Hop Karaoke
Karaorkestra / Josh Flowers and the Wild / Oliver Daldry / Marawas Majorettes
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama / Lady Austin Immersive Cabaret
Gem and The Mil Men
The Spiritual Playground / Jess Goyder
Sweaty Betty Mass Yoga / Mr Robbie / Evenlode Jazz
Shout Rhythm & Blues Choir / Morris Dancing

— TALKS & DEBATES —
curated by Secret Forum
ANNOUNCING
Dylan Jones – GQ Editor
John Lanchester – Author
Dan Snow – Historian
Dom Joly – Comedian
Deborah Moggach – Author
The RSA
Salon London
The School of Life
Headspace

Joining
Intelligence Squared, V & A, Sunday Papers Live, The Sunday Assembly, Secret Forum Fiction, Frontline Club, Explorer Camp, Spark Storytelling, The Wilderness School of Thought, New Economic Foundation, Guerrilla Archaeology, Embercombe, NOW Live Events, The Odditorium

— OUTDOOR PURSUITS & WELLBEING —
The Lakeside Spa, The Sanctuary, Wild Wellbeing, Boys of Yoga,
Horse Riding, Wild Swimming, Fly Fishing, Low Bow Archery, Secret Adventures, Philosophy Walks, Croquet East, SwimTrek, Hunter Gather Cook Foraging and Butchery, Boating, Wild Medicine Walks, Eden Project Den Building, Greencrafts Arts & Crafts

— FAMILY MAGIC & GAMES —
Bearded Kitten’s Cricket Match, The Clubhouse, Spinney Hollow’s Faraway Tree Stage, Storystock, Flying Seagulls, Pachamamma Crafts, Hunter Gather Cook Overnight Camps, Badaboom Dress Up, Mortimer Nannies

This year, Wilderness will keep the celebration going all hours with an exciting schedule of late night programming that will thrill and electrify even the most hardy of partygoers and keep you dancing till dawn.

By now, you would probably be aware of the amazing calibre of acts already confirmed to play for the fourth installment, the extraordinary range of chefs on hand to whip up lavish feasts for festivalgoers, the dazzling variety of outdoor pursuits to appease active types, and even the wonderfully engaging family activities for those travelling with their little ones. What you might not be aware of, however, is that Wilderness has assembled a stellar roster of DJs, performers, entertainers and events to take the party deep into the night as well. 

First up, the Pandaemonium DJ Stage, which will be “a secret hidden valley of revelers and dancing feet”, with a different theme for each night. For ‘Altered States’, festivalgoers are invited to brush off their everyday woes by transforming themselves to join the hypnotic rhythms of the Secret Valley. With incendiary sets from Eats Everything, Psychemagik, Lukas & Jim Morrison, and For Better and Worse lined up, attendees can weave between the shifting shapes on the dance floor and lose themselves to transformative beats, surrealistic spectacles and metamorphic performance. The following night disco kings Horse Meat Disco will lead the charge for a ‘Disco Renaissance’, enlisting Greg Wilson and Futureboogie in their mission to set dancefloors alight in the wee hours. On Sunday, the valley will embody “The Cosmos”, with the UK’s only Astronomers Ball to take place in a secret woodland valley. Expect an evening of celestial wonder, astrological music and aerial splendor with DJs like Zero 7 and Mojo Filter set to provide a sparkling, spinning universe of cosmic beats and stunning performance. And finally, the immersive dance experience turned morning rave, Morning Glory, will be onsite to get the festivalgoers’ day started right, with DJs like Carlo Rossi and the Organic Jam (Live), Tythe, Mark E and Zero 7 present and correct to get people raving their way into the day.

In addition, the acclaimed theatre company Petersham Playhouse will be bringing The Juke Joint to Wilderness, a specially constructed Rhythm and Blues barrel house run by the infamous witch doctor Mama Gris Gris. During the day guests are invited to unwind in the sunshine listening to tales of the southern wild, but as the sun goes down there will be a Mardi Gras inciting you to release your inner demons and inhibitions, with the help of Mama Gris Gris’ herbs, potions, spell and midnight moonshine, soundtracked by DJ sets from Gaz Mayall & Baby Soul of Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues fame and Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir, and live sets from the likes of HatFitz & Cara, Dollar Bill, Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir, The Black Kat Boppers and The Sunshine Kings.

Finally, for those with a world music bent, there’s The Styx Stage, hosted by those late-night experts in mayhem Rumpus, Artful Badger and the Shangri La Superstar himself, Chris Tofu, all bringing their idiosyncratic party-starting nous into the equation. Rumpus will be bringing together the gloriously varied sounds of The Turbans, Barking Bateria Samba Band, and the Brass Volcanoes New Orleans Brass Band in what promises to be a hugely energizing mix, while Chris Tofu has got the Renegade Brass Band, Le Klischee and Woohoo Revue lined up alongside Swing Patrol for his night. Last, but certainly not least Artful Badger will unveil the deeply eclectic sounds of Gentle Mystics, They Say Jump, Tythe and Tako Lako to excellent effect.

As this is Wilderness however, the music is hardly the end of it. The Footsbarn Big Top will also be present, a decadent establishment for louche elegance, avant-garde entertainment and hedonistic parties, a place to awaken all the senses. These Epicurean nights will be hosted by The Candlelight Club, London’s most notorious nightclub The Box, and White Mink, while the Wilderness Stage will dazzle with gin-induced opulent overtures, sumptuous symphonies and cinematic classics, with Borderless Beats, Cabinet of Living Cinema, Silent Opera and The Wilderness Orchestra all introducing special presentations of films. And Now: will lead revelers into the woods to witness this season’s Giant Ceremonial Burn, while Macnas processions will gather together as we light up the skies above Wychwood Forest.

Throw in the finest storytellers, firewalkers, luxury hot tubs, moonlight walks and live art painting, among many other frivolities and you have an experience that is completely and uniquely Wilderness.