Beginners guide to Boomtown Fair

In 2009, a humble village fair rose from the underground to become one of the wildest and most inspiring festivals the UK has ever seen. Welcome to Boomtown Fair. Taking over the Matterly Estate in Winchester, Hampshire from the 11th-14th August, you can expect to be involved in one massive party which celebrates all kinds of music, art, celebration and expression. If you’re looking for something a little different than your average festival and want to know what it is all about, we have written you the ultimate beginners guide.

Music Lovers Unite

This year sees ‘Chapter 8’ of the festivals history. We see chaos break out in the village of Boomtown and, of course, the only way to deal with chaos is keeping all the people happy.The music line-up for Boomtown fair covers all music tastes. You name it, Boomtown have covered it. So, this is a great festival for you and all your mates to go to as there will be a little something for everyone over their 24 stages. That’s right, TWENTY FOUR. Whilst we can’t name every single act that will be performing at the festival (as we would be here for a very long time), the sort of people you can expect to see are; Parov Stelar, Levellers, Fun Loving Criminals, Babylon Circus, Madness, Damien Marley, Critical Music, Sam Binga, Gaudi, Neelix… and like we said, a whole lot more.

With all the acts spread out over the 4 days, there will be enough music here to satisfy you for the whole of festival season!

The only festival in the village

So, you already know that there are 24 stages in Boomtown, which means this must be one HUGE festival. And you’re not wrong. In fact, there are 9 different ‘city districts’ you can visit to discover many different creative things. For example, Trenchtown is the home of dub, reggae, dancehall and jungle, the Wild West has many cowboys singing their folk tunes and Kidztown is a place you can keep the little ones entertained. We know, it’s a little scary and confusing, but to make sense of it all and find the places you want to visit that weekend, take a look here http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/ city-guide/city-districts. Each district will be decked out like a film set and will feel so realistic, which proves that the folks at Boomtown will stop at nothing to ensure this is your most memorable weekend of the summer.

Camping, Accommodation and… A Post Office?

Each little ‘district’ at the festival has its own camp site, which means you can stay close and never stray away from your favourite places. There’s also a few other options when it comes to camping – you can splash out on boutique camping or pre-pitched tent hire (which saves you all of the hard work), or opt for family camping or bringing your own campervans. The folks at Boomtown have also provided a list of local bed and breakfasts on their website in case roughing it in a tent just isn’t for you. When it comes to the arena itself, there are plenty of cash machines, toilets, drinking points, food stalls, bars and market stalls around the place… however, to fit in with the whole ‘village’ vibe, these things will be disguised as the Post Office, Job Centre and even the Town Hall. Definitely not your average festival but definitely sounds like a lot of fun. As well as these, you’ll be able to find everything else which will help you get through the weekend without any trouble, such as lockers, phone chargers and even some posh ‘zooloos’ and showers.

Travel and Tickets

An adult weekend pass for Boomtown Fair will cost you £170 – they are now on their 3rd release of tickets so hurry as they are going fast! Teen tickets cost £135 and kids and little ones can get in for free. To purchase your tickets click this beautiful little button! As for travel, you have a lot of choices. Boomtown have teamed up with National Express to offer a coach package which you can purchase alongside your ticket and means you can be picked up from a number of locations from across the country and dropped straight at the arena’s doorstep. As well as this, there is also the Boombus Shuttle Service at Winchester Station which will be running from Thursday until Monday. The fest also suggest taxis or even a car share. For anyone wanting to make their own way to the festival, there are 3 car parks where you can book your space for £15.

If you’re looking for any more information, check out their website or official Twitter handle. 

 

 

By Emily Thursfield