Fresh from winning the coveted Family Festival Award at this year’s UK Festival Awards, Camp Bestival is all set to continue its crusade to bring back the Great British summer holiday with bells on, returning to the salubrious surrounds of Lulworth Castle for another jam-packed jaunt bursting with bountiful excitement for all the family. It might only be cold December but with Christmas on the horizon what better way to banish the winter chills than to treat the family by getting them something extra-special to look forward to for the first weekend of the school summer hols – July 30th to August 1st, 2010 – Camp Bestival is a wonderland of joy that not only promises myriad extra curricular pleasures but also has more musical thrills than Dorset’s Jurassic coastline has got fossils, all generously sprinkled with our very own, extra-special Bestival magic.
Bouncing with excitement Rob da Bank says: ‘‘It seems only yesterday that we were basking in the sun singing along to Mr Tumble and then watching PJ Harvey captivate the whole site with her extraordinary solo performance but it’s that time again to unveil what we’ve been planning thus far for 2010. From Saturday night headliners the nutty boys Madness to Bill Drummond’s inspirational new music project, from folk royalty Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick to DJ Yoda and Beardyman it’s looking like a typically random yet happy family. Hope to see you there’.
Kicking off the first announcement for what is destined to be our most barnstorming jamboree yet, we are overjoyed to be welcoming the nutty boys, Madness, to our family feast of fun! Undoubtedly a national treasure, Madness, who are riding the crest of a critically acclaimed wave for their recent ‘Liberty of Norton Folgate’ album, boast a back catalogue the envy of almost everybody, ever, their appeal knows no bounds so we can be assured of a rip-roaring knees up they take to the stage to play their Saturday night headline slot. Commenting on the set the band said: “We love nothing more then a good old family knees up and if we get anywhere near the reception we got at Bestival in 2007 we’ll feel like kings of Lulworth Castle.”
Synth-pop overlords The Human League will be gracing Lulworth Castle with a superlative selection of their anthemic tunes. One of Steel City’s most enduring bands, The Human League’s faultless body of work is still as breathtaking as ever, never failing to create an exceptionally electric atmosphere wherever they perform. Also joining Camp Bestival’s ever-eclectic line up will be the living embodiment of Funk, George Clinton with Parliament Funkadelic. Famed for the mind-bending, coruscating live sets that span his entire career, George Clinton is one of nature’s true one-offs and a real living legend. Current king of the pop tree, Calvin Harris will be invading the stage and your brain with his indelible hooks, a sure-fire guarantee to put a smile on your face and get your feet moving and all-conquering, MOBO Awards winning Chipmunk will be in the zone to keep on rhyming and shining, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.
One of the revelations of Camp Bestival 2009 was the mighty Mr Tumble. He proved such an enormous hit with the kids (and, let’s face it, their parents!) that we just had to get him back for 2010! This time though, it’s so much bigger and better because we’ve got him for the whole 3 days of the event! With a series of slapstick and makaton sing-along performances and some extra-special meet and greets spanning the entire event, the tiny tots won’t know what’s hit them!
We always like something a bit different and special so we’re ecstatic that Camp Bestival will play host to one of the music and art world’s most intriguing maverick sons, Bill Drummond, giving you the chance to become part of an amazing musical art project. Bill Drummond the Choir Master – Become a member of The17: Bill Drummond’s (KLF, Timelords etc) choir. In this exclusive UK appearance, Bill will work with 10 groups of 17 people to record one of his scores. These will be combined and played back to the entire audience at Camp Bestival on Sunday night. To be part of one of the first 5 choirs to take part, email The17[at]campbestival.net to register now. All ages welcome!
The cultural pleasures of Camp Bestival are taking shape with a veritable smorgasbord of erudite delights. We are thrilled to announce that The English National Ballet will return for our 2010 show. One of the highlights of 2009, we can’t wait to see what they’ve got planned for us this time! You can also feed your brain with mind-treats at The East Lulworth Literary Institute where you can relish rare live interviews with the likes of film director Andrea Arnold; learn How To Be DJ Derek with the man himself; discover ‘ideas to live by’ through expert sessions from the School of Life; plus loads of other diverse and fascinating special guests and sessions to be announced soon. There’s also House of Fairytales a brand new art project headed up by renowned artist Gavin Turk, the Polka Tent – one of the massive successes from Bestival – few tents sum up the madness that the festival vibe can reach with wall to wall, end to end Crazy Hoedown music, Balkan Bangers, Speed Gypsy and Kleizmer chaos, plus The World Famous will be back with the awe-inspiring pyrotechnical pleasures of their Son et Lumiere extravaganza.
We’re exceedingly pleased to welcome back local heroes River Cottage Café. A huge hit with the Camp Bestival crowd in 2009, the River Cottage Café crew will return in 2010 with a sumptuous selection of rustic nourishment. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall commented: ‘Myself and the River Cottage Team had such a fantastic time at this year’s Camp Bestival! We are really excited to be involved again with the River Cottage Café in 2010!’
There’s even more music on offer with Reggae’s greatest living son Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry set to stoke his soul fire, arch Mancunian messiahs The Fall are a definite must-see band and the incredible Cuban Brothers will be causing musical mayhem and popping up in various incarnations across the site. Indulging in the pastoral vibes of Dorset, folk will be represented in its many flavours with the incredibly influential Martin Carthy & (a reinvigorated) Dave Swarbrick back together and kicking up a fiddle-driven storm, Fife’s finest James Yorkston will be exuding his resonant burr, the lauded Stornoway will add some ramshackle raggle-taggle spirit to proceedings and Beth Jeans Houghton will captivate with her blissful acoustica. There will also be some twitchy and glitchy, treats from Gold Panda and the Countryside Alliance Crew will bring their bucolic beats for the Camp B massive.
The first names on the disco team sheet, charged with ramping up Camp Bestival’s dancefloor mayhem include DJ Yoda who will be crabbing, flaring and cutting up the beats and bass like only he can and head honcho Rob da Bank who will drop the musical manna from heaven in his own imitable style. Old skool warriors Ragga Twins, mash-up marvels Nextmen featuring MC Wrec, Reggae sound system legend DJ Derek, Dubstep don Joker, House touchstone Cooly G, Amiga adventurer Boy 8-Bit, harbinger of Hyper bass L-Vis 1990, Trunk Records’ supremo Jonny Trunk and super-charged 78 action from Greg’s Greats are all also set to appear. Plus we welcome the return of teen rave sensations Let’s Go Crazy who promise the sound of bouncy punishing bass, dark disco beats, pulsing basslines and infectious drum ‘n bass which will have the whole tent skanking.
Comedy comes courtesy of Bestival favourite Andrew Maxwell who will also be performing his infamous Maxwell’s Fullmooners, Australia’s finest Jim Jefferies who has made his mark on panel shows including Have I Got News For You, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Fighting Talk and Marcus Brigstocke & Andre Vincent who will be performing The Early Edition.
There’s plenty more Music, Comedy and Spoken Word to be announced soon as well as plentiful activities for the young and old including Arts & Crafts workshops, Dance lessons, 100 free things for kids to do, Jousting from the Knights of Lulworth Castle, the Freestyle Sports Park including Mountain Bike, Skate And Parkour displays, madcap merriment from our very own Bestival Bluecoats and a new Kids Garden, which has doubled in size from 2009 giving the bouncing bambinos even more space to cavort to their hearts’ content. Plus we have idyllic and spacious campsites, great family facilities, country fare, local foodstuffs and so much more to be enjoyed and all for a snip at just £145 for an adult weekend ticket. So make sure you have a fun-packed start to the summer hols and join us at Camp Bestival!
