Summer is breathing its last, and we’re nearly at the end of outdoor festival season. We’re compiling our autumn and winter festival guide to provide inspiration and joy during the colder months. Mucky Weekender 5–7 September Taking place at ‘Vicarage Farm’, Winchester, Mucky Weekender’s fifth edition features five music stages with dub, ska, reggae, jungle,…
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Festival season has moved into high gear. Several have sold out (Green Man, Kendal Calling and Beautiful Days to name just three – and Rally is close to selling out) but there’s still overall plenty of choice. Our list includes several metropolitan (non camping) shindigs too, right into September. If you’re desperate to attend a…
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It’s not been an easy summer for festivals, and each week brings further cancellations. The good news is that a surfeit of one-day music events is happening in London’s various green spaces. Most festivals have reached their final ticket release, so if you’ve got your eye on something, best snap those tickets up without further ado.…
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Ealing Blues festival was given the thumbs up – and it managed to escape the rain. I was unable to go as I was at Bluedot festival (review to come) but I was sent these photos by a big Nick Lowe fan. He played an engaging acoustic set, and left his fans absolutely delighted. Here…
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Ooh festival season! The thought of it fills me (and so many of you out there, obviously) with joy. The sheer diversity of the UK festival scene means you can truly immerse yourself in music, dance, talks, literature, art, nature… there’s bound to be a few which will tick all your personal boxes. Here’s my…
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Rejoice – festival season is just around the corner. So what’s in store for 2017? There’s definitely a trend towards offering debates, talks and workshops. And kids are well catered for with high quality and original learning activities, take Bluedot’s Planetarium and Bearded Theory’s OFSTED approved school. But hey, let’s not get too serious about it all. Festivals primarily still…
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If you’re a festival fan, by now you’re dreaming of a green field, banners waving in the breeze, the sound of a band on the main stage… yes, festival season is nearly upon us again, and here is my Ultimate Festival Guide. Most have been personally tried and tested, some on a yearly basis – plus there’s…
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With a rare glimpse of sun in a gloomy July, we headed to Ealing Blues Festival held in Walpole Park, it’s one of a series of summer festivals run every year put on by Ealing Council. The event always resembles a ‘proper’ festival in miniature, with a choice of two big music tents – the Main Stage,…
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Ealing and its jazz and blues festivals have been a summertime fixture over the years at beautiful Walpole Park. I’ve attended the last two Blues festivals (read Ealing Blues 2013) but this time round we rolled up for the final Jazz day. I wonder if the organisers have a pact with the weather gods? Each time I’ve been to…
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Here’s an update of some of my top festival recommends for 2014 and as of the time of posting, still have tickets available. These are all small to medium-sized gatherings (no hour-long trudges to the arena). All these festivals have plenty of well thought-out activities for children and a fairly broad age range of attendance, so whether…
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