Rob da Bank Says: “It’s rare that I’m to be found not banging on about music, bands and tunes 24 hours a day but just for a minute I must pause to tell you about the amazing non-music business happening at Bestival 2011. From our very own new structures the Swamp Shack with its voodoo vibes to the Roller Disco to burn off the pies, from infamous food blogger MsMarmitelover’s Underground Restaurant to your very own humungous Free Sports Park with everything from BMX to Inline Skating and Parkour lessons…plus the Wishing Tree is expanding with the world’s smallest pub , an incredible array of cabaret and a bloomin’ great circus and so much more…Bestival is not getting bigger this year and we’re nearly sold out so get your (roller) skates on!”
The Wishing Tree, under the spell of its cultish hosts The Siblinghood of the Adjoined Orbs, has dramatically grown in size over the past year. Thankfully though there’s a wood cutters yard nearby to process all the timber from the tree, ready for some crazy construction. And just up the way is the old saw mill, built to deal with the largest logs in the world from the wishing tree and to power the largest band saw in the world. Thirsty work, we think you’ll agree, so the mini bar within the tree has been transformed into The Wood Cutters Arms, the smallest pub in the world.
Just as the cheering dies down from the last band on the Main Stage, you turn around to see a precession of huge, mysterious white figures floating down through the crowds. Twisted yet majestic, bewitching and ethereal, your eyes are not deceiving you. This is Herbert’s Dream, a magical show from French company Quidams, set to make you gaze in awe at this luminous and stunning night parade. For the first time, Bestival will be giving you the romance of a fully alfresco ballroom. Salsa with the sun on your skin, feel a late summer breeze in your hair as you shimmy through a cha cha. Framed by twinkling festoon lights as night falls you can lose yourself in a tango under the stars.
Pushing the boundaries of festi-food possibilities MsMarmitelover AKA Kerstin Rodgers will be at Bestival with The Underground Restaurant, an achingly cool, supper club from the foodies foodie with three sittings a day –lunch, dinner and a midnight feast. Simply delicious!
We are stupendously excited about a brand new area to Bestival; The Roller Disco. And when we say Roller Disco, we’re not joking, we mean the mother of all roller discos. With music blasting from a giant-sized jukebox stage that will feature the hottest DJs in the world, you’ve got no choice but to get involved as the skates are vintage and best of all they’re free to hire, or if someone else’s wheels doesn’t quite float yer boat, you can get your own high-tops pimped with sick trucks. There’s plenty of room for revellers without wheels too and either way you’re going to want to be there. Promise.
Proving you can never spoil a good walk, we’ve got Crazy Golf with the best crazy golf course in the country. Fact. And if the Plus Fours action isn’t quite enough to rock your world you can run away with the circus as No Fit State Circus presents Parklife, featuring a company of 10 international circus artists and musicians who will emerge from their crazy caravan to dazzle you daily with public taster workshops, creative exchanges, public rehearsals, happenings and impromptu high skill guerrilla performances, all accompanied by the ever popular NoFitState band
Keeping on the active tip, we are playing host to the Free Sports Park in its inaugural year at Bestival. The UK’s biggest touring sports park, you’ll be dumbfounding by their amazing displays including Mountain Board Freestyleand Big Air, Mountain Bike Freestyle Jumping, Mountain Bike Trials, BMX, Inline, Skate and Parkour and if you’ve got your own gear they’ll even let you have a crack too, but be warned it’s not for the faint-hearted.
We are uncommonly excited to announce that this year Bestival will feature the only Wall of Death act worth seeing. Death defying and deaf inducing. Hell’s Riders are due to put on a real spectacle that is as compelling as it is amazing. Rock n Roll in centrifugal form!
Amongst all the excitement, there’s always time for some intricate beauty so make sure you check The Secret Emporium. With the hottest and most talented milliners, jewellers, fashion designers and artists this side of Jupiter displaying hand picked goodies for your delectation. You have to make sure you bring your pocket money, kids.
And let’s not forget the all new Bestival Block Party on Saturday afternoon. Taking inspiration from the Blocos or individual sections of Brazil’s Rio carnival, the Block Party will be a parade divided up into a number of blocks, each one with its own name, identity and uniform designed and funded by you and your block mates! Watch this space for the Block names and ways to enter in the coming weeks… The traditional Fancy Dress Parade for everybody on Saturday will this year start at the far side of the campsite with the floats picking up people through the campsites as it goes. Join in your finery or just stand and watch in amazement as the Rock Star, Pop Stars and Divas of your imagination parade by, topped and tailed by Lost and Found and a marching band plus the resident Bestival dressing up box will be stacked full of vintage jump suits and sequins, antique theatre costumes and hand-made nonsense for all.
There will also be two more brand new attractions; The Ambient Forest, hidden deep in the woods will have spoken word programmed by Scroobius Pip, the David Lynch Foundation presenting meditation workshops and leftfield musical offerings and the best ambient and horizontal DJs in the world including Tom Middleton, Chris Coco, Phil Mison and Pete Gooding. And, new to the Wishing Tree field, The Swamp Shack; a ramshackle Louisiana bayou juke, straight from the pages of a Southern Gothic fairytale. Plus craziness abounds at theCabaret Tent with the Boom Boom Club, Gay Bingo, Who’s Talent is it Anyway and Marisa Carnesky’s Wunder Kabinet show. There will also be a whole host more merriment including the Blackout Gigs featuring live performances by acclaimed acts taking place in complete darkness, audiophile action with Classic Album Sundays and you can mix science with art, music and play with renegade researchers Guerilla Science in the Tomorrow’s World field. There will be the return of some old favourites too, including Bestival’s ‘Relaxation, Massage and Healing sanctuary’ Heavenly Healing and foot soaks, facials, hair washing and styling in the Pamper Lounge to keep you feeling fresh. And a perennial Bestival highlight with Come Dancing classes and competitions in the Spiegal Tent during the daytime every day, so you can learn some amazing dance moves from our Residential Specialist Dancing Teachers: The Jiving Lindy Hoppers!
If you want to make sure you can join us at Robin Hill Country Park for the eighth Bestival you’re going to have to be quick. Our main ticket agent Ticketline has now sold out so you’ll have to get your tickets from either the ferry companies; Red Funnel: www.redfunnel.co.uk/bestival / 0844 844 9988, Wightlink: www.wightlink.co.uk/bestival / 0871 376 1000 or for Coach travel including your ferry and a ticket you can get tickets from Big Green Coach:www.biggreencoach.co.uk/
There’s still one more headliner to announce and tons of far out fun and frolics to unveil so keep on checkingwww.bestival.net for all the up to the minute news.
Ticket Info:
Ticket only or ticket and ferry packages:
www.redfunnel.co.uk/bestival / 0844 844 9988
www.wightlink.co.uk/Bestival / 0871 376 1000
Ticket & Coach Packages:
www.biggreencoach.co.uk/
BESTIVAL 2011 PRICES
Adult Weekend Ticket (inc. camping) – £170
Student Weekend Ticket (inc. camping) – £160
Age 13 to 15 Weekend Ticket (inc. camping) – £85
Age 12 and Under Weekend Ticket (inc. camping) – FREE (but you must obtain a ticket)**
Campervan Tickets: £65 (per vehicle)
All Tickets:
– include camping.
– will incur a booking fee.
– there are No Day Tickets.