Go Wild at Wilderness Festival!
Have the utmost Yorkshire experience this summer at the four-day Wilderness Festival at Cornbury Park, near Charlbury town on August 4th-7th.
This year’s event has everything for everybody! Watch new upcoming artists boast their vocal chords and show off their instrumental talent in a vast selection of different tents or get lost in the action with the roaring sounds of drum and bass music or go extra wild with top DJ’s with a combination of electric and underground music! Mingle with the stars and get involved with a selection of activities, such as, the venue, ‘Front Room Songs’… where you can gloat your acoustic wonders in all its glory to other activities that will encourage full relaxation, such as, soothing massage workshops, full mediation sessions or grab your towel and glisten away at the Lakeside spa- with access to hot tubs, saunas and a sparkling swimming lake!
What’s on?
This year’s line-up will be beating away across a mixture of stages, with the main stage being the home for all those electric and folk and soul artists! Here, you will be able to daze away at the likes of, Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, The Flaming Lips, Crystal Fighters, Parov Stelar, London girl - Lianne La Havas, Legend Goldie & Heritage Orchestra…who has sold 3 million records internationally, Glass Animals, Matt Corby, Pop chick- Shura, Grammy winner- Tourist, Georgia…another London female artist, Rosie Lowe, Elias, Cosmic Strip and brass music from Hackney Colliery Band, who closed down the London 2012 Olympics Ceremony! Get lost in the beaming lasers in ‘The Valley’ and dance until your hearts content! A Love from Outer Space: Andrew Weatherall & Sean Johnston will be playing your favourite underground tunes! As well as the following DJ’s, Derrick Carter, Goldie, Jackmaster, Tom Middleton and PBR Streetgang.
Join the vibes at ‘The Folk Barn’ where you can sip on the finest craft beers whilst listening to a range of artists thumping their drums and tapping away at their chords. Other new upcoming singers and songwriters include, Mag Dog MCREA, Katy Carr, Howard Rose, Hattie Whitehead, Dila V & The Odd Beats, Jaz Delorean Trio, Gentle Mystics Soundsystem, Snufkin Band, Gideon Conn, West African dude- Batch Gueye, RSVP Bhangra…for all those Bhangra music lovers, The Nightjar, Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip, Acoustic professional - Martha Tilston, Ruth Theodore who will be showing off her guitar tricks, Hot Rock Pilgrims, Curtis Eller’s American Circus, Woodburner Music, London based band - Jimmy & The Medlars, Tantz, Garance and the Mitochondries, Bamako Overground, East London favourite - Theo Bard, 47Soul… involving unique Palestinian street music, Cardboard Fox, The Dovetail Trio who have performed on Radio 2, Polly and the Billets Doux, Screamin’ Miss Jackson and the Slap Ya Mama Big Band, The Buffalo Skinners, EFDSS also referred to as English Folk Dance and Song Society…who originated back in 1932, Hot Rock Pilgrims, Stompin’ Dave, Holy Moly and the Crackers and London based group - Cut a Shine. Simply go astray at ‘The Carousel’ where you can sing along to artists, Hackney Colliery Band, Cut Capers – who originated in 2011, The Baghdaddies...who have been touring for a long 14 years, Mad Apple Circus, Thrill Collins, Daytoner, Jenova Collective, Forest of Fools and Barbarella’s Bang Bang, who will all be performing on a spinning stage!
Feeling creative? Then make sure you pop along to ‘The Atrium’. Full of magic here with the support from ‘Just Us Theatre’ who are a dance company that will be demonstrating their moves from music off various genres, as well as Olympic athletes and Royal Ballet members from the notorious ‘Divine Company’. Otherwise, you can chant along with the festival’s own, ‘Wilderness Choir’. Or, go all out at ‘Sadler’s Wells Presents’ dance house or own the mic at the ‘Hip Hop Karaoke’ hot spot! Otherwise, get involved with discussions and debates on different topics at ‘The Forum’ tent and ‘Literary Tent’. The event will also be hosting talks from influential poet, authors, politicians, writers and so on, as well as Comedy acts to keep you chuckling all night long.
To feel more at peace, you can join in on a range of workshops from sports, such as, archery to health and well-being – yoga or pamper yourself further with an aromatherapy and massage session or take part in a quirky indie perfume making workshop with expert, Sarah McCartney.
Food & Drink
Feast your eyes on a scrumptious selection of appetising meals on the Long Table Banquets, also known as fancy ‘large-scale communal dining’! Be spoiled by top chefs, such as, Raymond Blanc, with a lunch time special comprised of an intense four course meal or tuck into a five course platter including wine… of course! Roast in the sun with a good old traditional barbeque by Mississippi chef expert, Brad McDonald. The ‘Shotgun’ menu which can be found in ‘The Dining Room’, will consist of mouth-watering meats flavoured with a taste of Southern America. Or, you can join the barbe party at ‘Patty & Bun’, found at the ‘Feasting tents’ for an ultimate juicy burger. More excitingly, the well-known ‘Duck and Waffle’ restaurant which originally launched in a secret location… ‘atop a 40-storey skyscraper at 110 Bishopsgate’ in the London city will also be serving its freshest ingredients.
Cocktail admirers can slurp away at the ‘Peacock Bar’, which is situated in the heart and centre of the park, benches planted around the area will enable you to chill out whilst listening to disco music beats! More fine wines and cocktails can also be spotted at ‘Raw Duck’ – better known as the Soho spectacle restaurant, DuckSoup, or if you prefer a classic glass of champagne then visit the ‘Champagne Laurent- Perrier Orangery’. Mmm!
That’s not all! Complimentary free ‘Innocent Coconut Water’ will be for grabs throughout the festival to ensure you stay rehydrated during the hot weather!
Travel & Accommodation
Make it a festival to remember by slouching away in the Wilderness canvases situated in the Cornbury Park itself. Here, you can mingle with other festive troops and dance along to the musical echoes from the event. There are various campsites customised for everybody’s needs, such as, general campsites…which is the most popular with a lake to keep you bubbling to quiet campsites for those who would rather recuperate in peace. Otherwise, you can settle in luxurious boutique yurts and trendy wagons! The fanciness is oh so fancy, as they have won ‘Winners of Best Hospitality- UK Festival Awards 2015’, so I wonder what they have up their sleeves for this year! You won’t have the hassle of having to carry all you bedding and putting up a tent. Soft bedding and delightful private showers and toilets will all be available upon arrival!
Travel eco-friendly to the festival with the help from the ‘Big Green Coach’ or the national express, which will be commuting from London Victoria Coach station straight to the festivals gates! Otherwise, if you are travelling by car then I recommend ‘Go Car Share’ which are a company specialising in transporting different individuals in the same car to the same place, there is also parking allocated at the festival.
Tickets
There is so much to do at Wilderness Festival so definitely don’t miss out on all the action and buy your tickets at: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/ wilderness
By Stephanie Smith