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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Creamfields invests £2m in festival site
The team behind electronic music event Creamfields has announced a £2 million overhaul of the brand’s flagship festival in Cheshire, north England.
Creamfields, which began as a one-day dance music event in 1998, is now a 70,000-capacity, four-day camping festival that takes place every August bank holiday weekend.
The overhaul comes as the festival prepares to celebrate its 15th year at its site in Cheshire, which has been its home since 2006.
The improvements will usher in a “new era for Creamfields”, say organisers, and will include increased camping space, additional security and staffing, the installation of a new water supply and more water points, better signage, improved shower and toilet facilities, more welfare staff, 24-hour manned information hubs and a minimisation of environmental impact on site.
The improvements will usher in a “new era for Creamfields”
Part of Live Nation’s Cream brand and promoted by Scott Barton-led Electronic Nation, Creamfields has become one of the world’s largest electronic music events, with spin-off festivals in Chile, UAE, Spain, Malta, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Australia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The Creamfields team is also responsible for Steel Yard, a 15,000-capacity dance arena structure, which hosts shows by the likes of Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, Eric Prydz, Faithless and Carl Cox in London and Liverpool.
The sold-out 2019 event saw performances from Calvin Harris, the Chemical Brothers, Bicep, Deadmau5, Matin Garrix, Tiesto, Camelphat and Fatboy Slim.
Creamfields returns to Daresbury in Cheshire from 27 to 30 August 2020. Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. (BST) on Friday 27 September. Fans can sign up for pre-sale here. A full line-up will be announced soon.
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