Wickham Festival

Wickham Festival
All Time Grate Main Stage at Wickham Festival
All Time Grate Main Stage at Wickham Festival
StatusActive
GenreFolk, world, traditional, rock, pop, comedy
Location(s)Hampshire
CountryUnited Kingdom
Years active2003–present
Next event1 August 2024 (2024-08-01) – 4 August 2024 (2024-08-04)
ParticipantsSee Lineups
Capacity7,000
Websitewickhamfestival.co.uk

Wickham Festival is a four-day music event that takes place in the village of Wickham, Hampshire, England. Wickham hosts live music and comedy across four stages, as well as food stalls, craft stalls, real ale and cider bars and children's entertainers.[1] It has been listed by The Guardian as a top 'Family Friendly Boutique Festival'.[2] The 2015 Wickham Festival was named Best Festival (under 15,000 capacity) at the Live UK Music Business Awards,[3] and the 2018 event won Best Festival at The Guide Awards, with the 2019 event taking the title of Best Live Event.[4]

Although the history of the festival can be traced to the 2003 Eastleigh Festival, the first Wickham Festival was held from 3–6 August 2006 in and around the village community centre, with a line-up rooted in folk and traditional music.[5] Since then the festival has expanded (moving to its current site in 2013) to become a venue for both well established artists and those just breaking through, across many musical genres, and has previously hosted talks from Tony Benn and Bill Oddie.[6] Recent years have seen high-profile performances from rock and pop artists, including Van Morrison, James Blunt,[7][8] Kiefer Sutherland, Frank Turner, Wilko Johnson[9] and Lightning Seeds.[10] The festival has not lost touch with its roots, continuing to promote folk music,[11] world music[12] and such festival stalwarts as Richard Thompson,[13] Bellowhead and Steve Earle.[14] Wickham Festival has also introduced British audiences to international musicians, including Carlos Núñez Muñoz,[15] The Spooky Men's Chorale[16] and Le Vent du Nord.[17]

  1. ^ "Other attractions". Wickhamfestival.co.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  2. ^ Palmer, Camilla (13 June 2015). "Eight family friendly boutique summer festivals". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  3. ^ [1] [dead link]
  4. ^ "Wickham Festival triumphs to take Best Festival at The Guide Awards". Portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Wickham Festival 2006". Efestivals.co.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Wickham Festival still going ahead". Hampshire Chronicle. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  7. ^ [2] [dead link]
  8. ^ [3] [dead link]
  9. ^ "Wilko Johnson at the Wickham Festival". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Oh Lucky You Lightning Seeds to play Wickham festival". Itv.com. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  11. ^ Ewart, Alan (11 July 2015). "Wickham Festival: 6 – 9 August 2015 – preview". Louderthanwar.com. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Issue 5". Issuu.com. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  13. ^ [4] [dead link]
  14. ^ "Steve Earle & The Dukes among acts on festival circuit this August". The Irish Post. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  15. ^ "La Revista Issue 240". Issuu.com. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Wickham Festival". Skiddle.com. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  17. ^ "StackPath". Folkradio.co.uk. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2021.