While for some the main focus of the festival season is the summer holiday, there are some parts of the country that are inviting you to get in on the action just that little bit early. Under starters orders this time around is the Wychwood Festival, held in June at the Chelteham Racecourse in Gloucestershire.
This family friendly festival hosts a mix of music, comedy, cinema, a childrens literary festival, and many other workshops and events. The fun kicks off on Friday 4th June with The Tunnelmental Experimental Assembly, a band put together by a former jockey who rode at Cheltenham. They will be joined on-stage by the country/pop/folk sounds of the Travelling Band, the nine piece instrumental explosion that is The Leisure Society, and platinum selling festival favourites The Levellers.
Saturday continues in an equally eclectic fashion, and is headlined by 1980’s ravers The Happy Mondays. Shaun Ryders band will also be joined on-stage by the manic and unique talents of John Otway, rock band Sleeping With Fishes, dance act Pauline Black of The Selector, and Kora player Toumani Diabate. For those that don’t know, the Kora is an African Lute instrument.
Then you and your children can wake up on Sunday morning to the sights and sounds of CBeebies, and its star performer Justin Fletcher. Justin has voiced the legendary Shaun the Sheep, and characters from the Tweenies, so his show is sure to be a treat. Later on a host of top music acts will take to the main stage, including million selling act The South (formerly The Beautiful South), Dreadzone, folk singer Seth Lakeman, comic Adrian Edmondson’s band The Bad Shepherds, and the interestingly titled 12 Stone Toddler.
All this plus a full line-up of comedy throughout the weekend, and a program of 100 sessions and workshops, which feature The Roald Dahl Museum, and English National Ballet. So if this sounds like your ideal weekend out/away, then what are you waiting for! Don’t be the last one past the post, buy your tickets now!
The web link you need for further information on the festival, full line-up details, and the lowdown on ticket prices/outlets is: www.wychwoodfestival.com.