New UK festivals seek to ‘reinvent the wheel’
The UK is to gain a number of new festivals this year, each boasting a concept that puts a spin on the traditional greenfield affair.
Velio Festival is hoping to reinvent the wheel by bringing together cycling, music, comedy, gastronomy and wellbeing across a three-day event.
The debut edition is projected to take place from 17–20 September in the grounds of Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire.
Five cycling routes will be set out around the castle’s grounds, varying from 3km to 100km to cater for cycling enthusiasts of all ages and abilities.
The line-up is yet to be announced, but organisers have promised performances from international artists and comedians across the festival’s five stages.
The festival will also offer a physical wellbeing programme comprising talks, workshops, wood-fired hot tubs, yoga, meditation, wild swimming, walks, runs and games – plus an array of gastronomical offerings; feasts, long-table banquets, award-winning chefs, local produce and speciality bars.
Velio Festival is for “the late-night dancers, early morning meditators, weekend feasters and mid-week riders”
Organisers say the event is for “the late-night dancers, early morning meditators, weekend feasters and mid-week riders”.
The event is the concept of Mustard Media, which has grown festivals worldwide including Afronation, Lost & Found, Elrow, and locally Manchester Pride, Parklife, The Warehouse Project and Lightopia.
One Island Festival is also set to make its debut this September (3–5) on a 380-acre private island in Essex.
Touted as ‘the UK’s very own island getaway’, the hyper-exclusive festival will host a maximum of 500 people across 23 island properties including yurts, bell tents, village cottages, penthouses, courtyard apartments and manor houses.
The three-day event, organised by global party brand Candypants, will cater to fans of disco, R&B and hip-hop with sets from Chesqua, Colin Francis, Dave Robinson and Drew Moreland.
Tickets for the festival start from £497.50 plus booking fees for a basic bell tent.
One Island Festival is to make its debut on a 380-acre private island in Essex owned by record producer Nigel Quentin Frieda
Elsewhere in the UK, London’s newest event Yam Carnival promises a unique combination of carnival and music festival and ‘an unrivalled celebration of black culture from around the world’.
Produced by Festival Republic, Smade Entertainment and Event Horizon, the one-day festival will pay tribute to afrobeat, hip-hop, dance, afro-swing and R&B.
The inaugural edition on 28 August at Clapham Common will feature performances from Davido, Kehlani, Ari Lennox, IAMDDB, Ms Banks, Princess Nokia and Nao across three stages, ‘Carnival Stage’, ‘Afrika Shrine Alive’ and ‘Afrotronic’.
The celebration of black culture will extend to the festival’s F&B offering, which will comprise ‘traditional home comforts and contemporary bites’ from African-influenced food trucks and chefs from around London.
General release tickets starting from £65 are now on sale.
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“Sleeping giant” Oates to lead Candypants expansion
Candypants, a UK-born “global lifestyle party brand” which organised more than 400 shows in 2019, has appointed Gatecrasher co-founder Simon Oates as director of group strategy.
Candypants organises club nights and day parties in UK, Europe, North America and the Middle East. Alongside CEO Ray Chan, Oates is tasked with growing the Leeds-based company’s business over the next five years, following its best-ever 12 months in 2019.
Gatecrasher – the biggest clubbing brand in the world during its ’90s heyday – had nine superclubs across the UK and organised shows for tens of thousands of ravers, including huge new year’s eve events and major festivals in the UK and Australia.
Oates left Gatecrasher in 2006 and has since run bars and VIP areas for festivals including Download, Electric Picnic, Isle of Wight Festival, Reading Festival and Radio 1’s Big Weekend.
“He brings a great mix of leadership, inspiration, operational experience and very technical breadth”
“Simon is a sleeping giant in the industry with a widely regarded worldwide background and a track record of working with high-growth late night-sector companies,” comments Chan. “He also co-founded global phenomenon Gatecrasher in 1995, with 400 shows a year across 30 countries, including the US, Asia, Europe, South America, Russia, Japan and New Zealand…”
“He brings a great mix of leadership, inspiration, operational experience and very technical breadth, with a creative eye on brand development. He’s done it all.”
At Candypants, Oates will work to “develop Candypants as a multi-faceted event and entertainment brand, while maintaining it as the leading experiential daytime and late-night events company in the Middle East and across Europe, and continue to grow their global footprint and group,” according to a company statement.
He will also seek to drive business to other areas of the Candypants group, including fashion, music, marketing and video production, venue management, festivals, concierge and corporate hospitality.
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