Beastie Boys to Headline Bestival
The UK's Most Imaginative Music Festival Returns for its 4th Year
Beastie Boys and The Chemical Brothers are set to headline the 4th Bestival music festival on the Isle of Wight
Music lovers can look forward to another summer of mud, music and mayhem during Britain's festival season, and although the infamous Glastonbury and Reading festivals will dominate the headlines, it's a small festival on the Isle of Wight that looks set to be a highlight of the summer.
The Bestival music festival first took place on the Isle of Wight, on England's South coast, in 2003. Set up by British DJ Rob Da Bank and his wife, it has quickly gained a reputation as one of Europe's most eclectic and entertaining festivals, and will return once again on the 7,8,9th September.
Artists confirmed
As well as the headliners, confirmed artists for 2007 include quirky English five-piece The Maccabees, festival favourites The Levellers, singer songwriter Billy Bragg, and DJ’s including Gilles Peterson, Tim Westwood and David Holmes, with more to be announced.
Bestival’s musical style doesn't really fit into any musical genre, but alternative folk may be the best fit. Traditional drum, bass, guitar groups are shunned for the bands with half a dozen members and the innovative and unusual. As well as fiddles, trumpets and double bass, previous Bestival bands have made use of harps, plastic xylophones and kazoos to make their music. At Bestival, anything goes.
The same eccentric principles apply elsewhere in the festival. As well as tents, campers can also sleep in tee-pees, yurts and beach chalets; themed arenas feature chill out zones and hidden 'secret discos' and festival goers can also visit farmer's markets, kid's areas and a tea and cake stall run by the local women’s’ institute.
Bestival Fancy Dress Party
Imaginative designs transform the three day festival into a surreal world of escapism, with tents themed on the circus, Bollywood and 1920's dancehalls, but the highlight of the festival is always the mass fancy dress party.
Last year's festival saw nearly all 10,000 festival goers in fancy dress, with outfits including everything from clowns and cavemen to full wedding dresses; and all were dancing to the songs of the headline acts - gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello, the Pet Shop Boys and the glammed-up Scissor Sisters.
Together with the scorchingly hot, sunny weather that the festival has been blessed with the past two years, it's no surprise that Bestival has won the best medium size festival award for 2005 and 2006, and this year's festival is sure to be equally memorable.
Full Line Up:
Live Acts: Beastie Boys, Chemical Brothers, Gregory Isaacs,The Levellers, The Orb, Billy Bragg, The Maccabees, The Cuban Brothers, Dub Pistols, Calvin Harris, Mr Hudson & the Library, Simian Mobile Disco, Bonde de Role, Cagedbaby, Horace Andy, Jah Wobble, Zion Train, Fujiya & Miyagi, Kate Nash, Fionn Regan, Fields, Daedalus, Ska Cubano, Remi Nicole, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Supaer Nashwan, The Shakes, Adjagas and more to be announced.
DJs: Francois Kevorkian, Gilles Peterson, Tim Westwood, Rob Da Bank, David Holmes, Justin Robertson, Erol Alkan, Ben Watt, Andy C and more to be announced.
