Greenbelt Festival

Nitin Sawhney, The Proclaimers and more for Greenbelt Festival

by

 

Greenbelt is also proud to announce this year's festival programme will feature talks from prolific campaigner Peter Tatchell and Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, BBC Radio 4's hit show Any Questions to broadcast live plus much, much more. Greenbelt Festival takes place from 24th-27th August at Cheltenham Racecourse. Tickets are on sale now and available from the festival website.

MUSIC
Greenbelt is thrilled to announce Nitin Sawhney will join revelers to perform his distinctive, versatile and spectacular sounds that have solidified his reputation as one of the most talented practitioners of his generation. Firmly established as a world-class producer, songwriter, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, orchestral composer and cultural pioneer and having collaborated and written for the likes of Sting, Sir Paul McCartney, Sinead O'Connor, Ellie Goulding, Cirque Du Soleil, Sawhney will be an unmissable festival experience for 2012.
 
Legendary Scottish rockers The Proclaimers will be bringing a mixture of classic hits including iconic tracks "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" and "I'm On My Way" and brand new material from their next studio album Like Comedy, due for release on Cooking Vinyl this May. 
 
The Leisure Society will tantalise crowds with their bouncing bass, flurries of flute and jazz drums that have earned them considerable critical acclaim, including an Ivor Novello nomination. Other confirmed acts include new British female artist Jose Vanders who has been dubbed as the new Regina Spektor; American soloist Abigail Washburn; alternative rock band In Case of Fire, "Nu'folk" duo Megson; effortless folk sensation and recent supporting act for Mumford & Sons, Rachel Sermanni; talented pianist Luke Leighfield plus Brighton-based band Tom & Olly. 
 
COMEDY
Greenbelt welcomes back Robin Ince with his razor-sharp analysis of human endeavor, scientific discovery and dreadful literature. James Acaster brings his anecdotal, interactive and brilliantly funny stand-up. Having recently appeared on Russell Howard's Good News and a tour with Milton Jones, Greenbelt festival-goers are in for a comedic treat this year.

 
LITERATURE

Greenbelt presents a diverse offering of literary figures speaking at this year's festival includingJenn Ashworth who lept into the spotlight as one of the BBC Culture Show's Best New Novelists; bona fide rocket scientist and prolific writer Dr. Simon Morden and distinctly-British-in-style-but-US-born writer Kate Charles. Poetic performances will be brought to Greenbelt by the likes of Harry Baker who won a Poetry Slam at the Edinburgh Fringe festival and TS Elliot Prize winner, Philip Gross. 

 
TALKS

Greenbelt is thrilled to announce a plethora of the most remarkable speakers from the UK and beyond creating what is fast becoming the most exciting and rich programme to be found under the folds of a festival tent. Cultural thinker and faculty member of The School of Life, Roman Krznaric will offer instruction and inspiration on the important questions of everyday life. Campaigns Director of 38 Degrees, Hannah Lansborough will also be sharing her perspective on campaigning (particularly online) in a democracy. As part of the festival's focus on criminal justice Guardian columnist and writer Erwin James, will speak about his experiences of serving a life sentence and his tireless work on prison reform. 

For the first time, BBC Radio 4's hugely popular panelist programme Any Questions will be hosted at this year's Greenbelt festival featuring personalities from the worlds of politics, media and elsewhere, to be aired live on Friday 24th August.
Prolific campaigner for human rights, democracy, LGBT freedom and global justice Peter Tatchell, will be appearing at this year's festival. Tatchell is a member of the queer human rights group OutRage!, the Green Party’s spokesperson on human rights plus campaigns for human rights in Britain and beyond through his own Peter Tatchell Foundation. 
 
Further additions include Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, contributing editor at Q-News Abdul-Rehman Malik and former bishop of Durham Tom Wright.
 
FILM
Today Greenbelt announces a number of carefully selected films, both new and classic to be screened at the festival. Confirmed titles include Terrence Malick's cult American independent film The Tree of Life starring Sean Penn and Brad Pitt; 1972 environmentally themed science film classic Silent Running; and Gore Verbinski's 2011 American animated feature Rango, which won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars last year and stars Johnny Depp as the voice of Rango. Greenbelt will also host its very own Greenbelt Oscars with further announcements soon to come plus Tipping Point Film Productions will present challenging, truth-telling cinema documentaries that combine the popular appeal of film with ambitious international campaigns.
 
Tickets are now available from the Greenbelt festival websiteor via 020 7374 2760. Prices are fixed until 30th April 2012 and adult weekend tickets are £99.00; adult concession weekend tickets are £68.00; under 18 weekend tickets (5 to 17 years) are £55.00; family weekend tickets (2 Adults, 2 Under 18s) are £259.00; single parent family weekend tickets (1 Adult, 2 Under 18s) are £165.00 and infants (0-4 years) go for free.

Greenbelt Festival 2011 Review by Christina Boonstra

by
The August bank holiday weekend is a feast for all festival lovers. With events littered across the country, you can gorge yourself on festivals till you pass out from exhaustion. From the majors like Leeds, Reading and Cream Fields, to the niche folk festivals scattered all across the country, the festival goer must choose carefully, before carelessly throwing away such a precious weekend in the festival calender.
 
So out of all the things happening that weekend, why would anyone decide to go to Greenbelt?
 
That's the very thing we were thinking as we accustomed ourselves with the festival lay out on Friday afternoon. After pitching tent, and gathering our bearings, we turned our eyes to the program and begin to feel a little dizzy with choice.
 
Greenbelt claims to cram arts, faith, and justice, into one short weekend at Cheltenham racecourse, resulting in 30 venues packed with debates, discussions, performances, music, food and comedy. 
 
On Friday, we wandered around like lost children trying to make sense of it all. Made ourselves feel a little better, by taking pictures sitting on a tiny horse statue, and then, got down to the serious business of figuring this festival out. Flight Brigade, a seven piece folk band began the night early on the Underground stage, and by the time it came to Billy Bragg's rather bizarre headlining set on the Main stage, Greenbelt was really growing on us.
 
Yoga
 
Determined to rise to challenge of taking in everything Greenbelt had to offer, we woke, relatively early on Saturday morning in order to seize the day. But instead, we watched on as much early birds took part in a spot of yoga outside the Performance café, caught the end of a set by Rend Collective, and realised that trying to take part in a meditation workshop when you're starving, does not work. After leaving the class as inconspicuously as possible, we feasted on possibly the best choice of festival food we’ve ever seen, from home made sausage and mash, to falafel, it made a great day, even better.
 
One thing that struck us about this festival is the amount of children present. There was a real family feel, but not in an annoying screaming for ice cream kind of way. A very relaxed vibe, where you'll see retired hippies, chatting to young parents as the Franciscan monks walk by (yes we said Franciscan monks).   Mingled in with artists like the Duke Special, having a pint at the festival's very own local, the Jesus Arms.
 
Playhouse
 
Greenbelt is unique in many ways, it brings together great performances such as Get Cape Wear Cape Fly and Idlewild, with up and coming music talent and comedy, as well as a host of drama and dance performances housed in unique venues with a home made feel about them. At this festival you're more likely to be queuing up for a show at The Playhouse than for a pint. But, if all the festivals you've been to lately seem to have blurred into one, maybe next summer spend your precious bank holiday weekend on Greenbelt, it will definitely be different.
 
(4 stars)