BoomTown Fair 2015 Major Headliners Release

BoomTown Fair 2015 Major Headliners Release

BoomTown Fair has released the first wave of headliners for Chapter Seven of the massively genre expansive festival. Taking place over 13th – 16th August in the Matterley Estate near Winchester BoomTown once again will house heavyweight names from reggae to ska punk; psy-trance to world music, putting underground genres in the spotlight at one of the most creatively and musically ambitious festivals on the circuit. With 22 Main Stages situated over eight very individual districts the music programming is as diverse as it would be within any large city, providing something for all tastes, ages and cultures! 

The Town Centre, known for hosting some of the most raucous, party inducing acts this year will host:  LA’s anarchic Celtic punk folksters Floggying Molly, bringing their internationally celebrated break-speed anthems to Winchester for a rare and exclusive UK festival performance. The return of the hedonistic gypsy punk of Gogol Bordello, headlining the festival in 2011 they totally blew the Town Centre apart with their rip-roaring, frantic show that whipped the crowd into a palpable frenzy, this year with a new album recently released and the BoomTown citizens more than quadrupled in numbers since the bands last visit to the town, one mega party is expected to kick off! Keeping the knees in the air and the skanking skills up to max is the American ska punk of Streetlight Manifesto. One of the most requested ska acts by BoomTown citizens over the years, Streetlight will be bringing their life affirming vibes and outstanding energy in a very overdue first visit to the fair!! Another returning to the Town Centre are ultra-slick Parisian outfit Caravan Palace. After storming the place with one of the most memorable shows, these premiers of electro-swing and gypsy-funk are guaranteed to host one almighty spectacle, worthy of their fierce reputation as an ultimate live act!

Matisyahu, once known for being the Hasidic man of reggae, over the past few years has moved to a more secular style and will be bringing his highly polished reggae tinged hip-hop and soul to the Lion’s Den for a UK festival exclusive. Another festival headliner that can’t seem to stay away from the fair is Alborosie and Shengan Clan, this MOBO award winning artist will be on hand with his thumping basslines and talent that speaks for itself! Joining Matisyahu and Alborosie on the Lion’s Den are reggae legends Black Uhuru, the first ever winners of the Best Reggae album at the 1985 Grammy’s their music has provided a soundtrack to generation with tunes like ‘What is Life’, ‘Shine Eye Girl’ and ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’ dominating any dancefloor when they drops! Heading over to the southern hemisphere for a taste of New Zealand roots reggae, Katchafire will be bringing their gloriously chilled out sunshine vibes for even more global flavours in the Lion’s Den.

Whilst over on the Old Mines folk and world stage are Katchafire’s Antipodean brethren, the awe inspiring John Butler Trio, with guitar skills so incredible the only other sound that can be heard when they are playing is that of jaws dropping to the floor!! These Aussie guitar heroes are a powerhouse of fusing folk, acoustic and roots and are the perfect tonic to a busy festival day! After welcoming the stunning desert sounds of Mali last year with Tinariwen, BoomTown will be making a return voyage to the country for more musical mastery with Amadou and Mariam, fusing Afro pop with desert blues this Grammy nominated husband and wife duo have been performing together for more than 30 years and are the biggest-selling African act of recent times; along with fellow Mali musician’s Songhoy Blues, who were recently pegged as Mail’s next big thing, no small feat considering the company they keep! Other acts on the Old Mines include festival stalwarts Dreadzone with their mashup of dub, reggae, techno, folk and rock, ultimate fusion outfit Transglobal Underground, acclaimed folk roots of Edward II and Scotland’s finest instrumental fusion folk band Peatbog Faeries, full line up for Old Mines will be revealed in a few weeks.

The brand new Psychedelic Forest secret headliner has also now been released as Infected Mushroom doing an Old School LIVE set, and joining the already announced Astrix, Ace Ventura, Perfect Stranger, Liquid Soul, Juno Reactor who are topping up a psy-trance bill that is one of the strongest seen at a UK festival in years!

DSTRKT 5 dance line up was announced a couple of weeks ago and was headed up by Squarepusher, Spor, Noisia, Machinedrum, Metalheadz takeover, Surgeon and many more.

This is just the first wave of headliners for Chapter 7 of BoomTown Fair that is bursting with so many genres the festival provides a musical tour, delving of the most powerful art forms in the world! The full district line ups are still to come and will cover the following genres on these dates:

10th Feb: Mayfair Avenue (Electro-Swing, Swing, Vintage remix)

13th Feb: OldTown (Balkan, Gypsy, Gypsy Punk & Pirate)

17th Feb: Barrio Loco (Hip hop, House, Bass, UK Garage)

20th Feb: Whistlers Green World, Folk, Folk Punk, Comedy)

24th Feb: Wild West (Bluegrass, Hillbilly, Yeeha)

27th Feb: TrenchTown (Reggae, Dub, Dancehall)

3rd March: ChinaTown (Ska, Ska Punk, Punk)

BoomTown Fair first district line up announced feat. Squarepusher

BoomTown Fair first district line up announced feat. Squarepusher

BoomTown Fair have kick started six weeks of intensive line up announcements with the bass heavy playground of DSTRKT 5. As the festival is made up of eight very different ‘districts’ which celebrate a variety of individual music genres and cultures from Ska to Jungle, Reggae to Folk and a whole load more in between and beyond, the line ups are released district by district. First out is the bass mecca of DSTRKT 5, which true to form will be hosting some of the most innovative trailblazers in the genre including; Squarepusher, Noisia, Spor, Machinedrum, Metalheadz takeover and Surgeon to name a few, resulting in a powerhouse of a bass line-up and the perfect soundtrack for BoomTown’s unveiling of a the brand new colossus of a centre-stage for DownTown, The Palace, which is all set to be the UKs largest fully immersive festival dance arena.

Taking place over 13th – 16th August in Matterley Estate - Hampshire, BoomTown have now released the final part of the ‘Chapter 7: The Introduction’ trilogy that, like any expertly crafted drum and bass track, has slowly built up over Part One and Part Two to the ultimate drop with the new monstrous dance stage and its phenomenal line-up unleashed on the eagerly waiting viewers in Part Three! The brand new nine-story 3600 surround arena set, that promises to be exceptionally loud, will be dominated by a finely crafted selection of heavy weight bass warriors!!

Ready to storm the new Palace stage with a brand new live show, is boundary pushing maverick Squarepusher. Renowned for mixing up apocalyptic dystopian sounds and electronic beats so obscure they border on extra-terrestrial with jaw-dropping live bass guitar solos to the backdrop of mesmerizing visuals: BoomTown bass lovers are in for one genuinely mind-blowing experience this summer with the combination of Squarepusher and one of the most insane festival stages the UK will have ever witnessed!!

Keeping Squarepusher good company on The Palace stage will be the dark, solid drum and bass of Spor, unchallenged trio of drum and bass mastery Noisia, tough techno and murky industrial beats of Surgeon live set, an almighty showcase of 20 years of Metalheadz with Goldie b2b Dillinja, Ulterior Motive b2b Dom and Roland, Jubei b2b Ant tc1, hosted by SP:MC and no stranger to fictional cities, Machinedrum will be introducing his Vapour City and all its surging bass to the good citizens of Boom City!

Next up in DSTRKT 5 is the iconic BoomBox stage, towering an impressive 40ft, this giant ghetto blaster emits some of the most legendary sounds in the entire of DownTown. Chapter 7 will be no different with an unbelievably exciting 10hr takeover from two ultimate legends: Norman Jay MBE and Mr Scruff present...Keep the Good Times Unreal!! Other acts to be found on the BoomBox include: seminal producer Deekline, Canadian glitch-hop maestro Stickybuds, the ultimate dancefloor demolition men Scratch Perverts and an Inspected Records showcase ft: Culprate, Emperor, Asa, Sorrow, ZES, Inspector Dubplate, plus loads more…

Whilst over in the fully expanded, upgraded and sound proofed BodyShop, gabba, mashup and hardcore techno reign supreme with the prolific Luke Vibert; PRSPKT Takeover (with Hellfish vs Producer, Bryan Fury, Thrasher, Switch Technique) Simon Underground; Vandal; Bizzy B, Randall (92-94); Jerome Hill; Crystal Distortion; Renegade Hardware 20th Anniversary Takeover plus more…

On top of these main stages in DSTRKT 5 there will also be a Renegade Street Party hosted by none other than underground soundsytem and pioneers of social justice through coming together of communities, SP23. Forged at the heart of the Spiral Tribe sound system, SP23 will be back in the UK this summer for the first time in 20 years and bringing a true piece of historic party culture back to where it all began.

This is just the first district line up announcement for BoomTown, next up on 3rd Feb will be the full headliners announcement and then after that from 10th Feb, will be all the remaining district line ups:

10th Feb: Mayfair Avenue (Electro-Swing, Swing, Vintage remix)

13th Feb: OldTown (Balkan, Gypsy, Gypsy Punk & Pirate)

17th Feb: Barrio Loco (Hip hop, House, Bass, UK Garage)

20th Feb: Whistlers Green World, Folk, Folk Punk, Comedy)

24th Feb: Wild West (Bluegrass, Hillbilly, Yeeha)

27th Feb: TrenchTown (Reggae, Dub, Dancehall)

3rd March: ChinaTown (Ska, Ska Punk, Punk)

BoomTown Fair launches Bristol venue - Circus of Boom

BoomTown Fair launches Bristol venue - Circus of Boom

The UK’s most ridiculously eccentric and eclectic festival, BoomTown Fair is coming back to where it all began with a brand new temporary live venue in the heart of Bristol. Open from January – April 2015 the Circus of Boom series will host eight different themed nights showcasing the diversity of culture, music and characters that make up BoomTown’s fantasy world.

Opening on 30th January with the rambunctious Wild West district and closing on the 19th April with The Skints, attendees to the Circus of Boom nights will celebrate the music and atmosphere from each of the eight districts of BoomTown, globetrotting through music genres and experiencing a small slice of BoomTown magic in central Bristol.

Coming back to their roots, the creative team behind BoomTown Fair will transform this temporary space into an interactive cavern of immersive musical delights. Sticking to the formula that has seen the festival grow from 1,000 in 2009 to 45,000 for 2015, audiences attending this one-off series of live shows will be treated to a sample of the intricate set designs that have solidified the festivals’ international reputation as an industry leader in creating the ultimate escapist fantasy land! Expect to find secret hideaways and hidden nooks as well as some of the best live bands in town for four months only!

Tickets for all events range from £7.50 - £15 (+BF) and available via boomtownfair.co.uk/tickets

Event listings:

Friday 30th January: Wild West – Hillbilly, Bluegrass, Cow Punk and Cider

Pronghorn / Skimmity Hitchers / Doghouse Boatboys

A glimpse into the dusty streets and rickety saloons from the Wild West district of BoomTown will showcase some of the rootin’ist and toonin’ist festival bands on the circuit!

Fancy Dress is a must, so invoke your inner yeehaa and get the cowboy and cowgirl costumes at the ready!

More event info here: www.facebook.com/events/278646008926351/

Saturday 14th February: Whistlers Green – Flat-out folk!

3 Daft Monkeys / John Langan Band / Firepit Collective / Gentlemen of Few

For those wanting a different valentine’s experience, or just to completely ignore the day altogether, the Circus of Boom will be on hand with soul soothing folk, anarchic folk and a whole bunch of lovely folk!! Be transported back in time with acoustic pleasures in a forgotten village setting from the days of Olde!

More event info: www.facebook.com/events/395316453961571/

Sunday 21th February: ChinaTown – Ska, ska, ska and even more Ska!

Neville Staple (The Specials) / Counting Coins / Cut Capers

BoomTown loves ska. Ska punk, ska funk, ska folk, 2-tone ska, jump up ska, nu ska, oldskool ska, Jamaican ska, UK ska, American ska; basically if it’s got a skanking beat and a brass section they’ll have it!! As a special homage to the great music genre the third in the Circus of Boom series has one of the ultimate ska legends, Neville Staple from the mighty Specials headlining. He will be joined by two of the finest UK ska acts on the circuit right now Counting Coins and Cut Capers for a right proper Sunday night Skank-off!!

More event info: www.facebook.com/events/652199564889925/

Friday 27th February: Mayfair - Electro-Swing & Vintage Remix

Molotov Jukebox / Electric Swing Circus / Big Swing Sound System

Step inside a sophisticated swing mecca filled with glamorous flapper ladies and flamboyant dandy fellers. The spirit of 1920’s swing will be recreated by festival favourites Big Swing Sound System and Electric Swing Circus with headliners Molotov Jukebox on hand and guaranteed to deliver a floor shaking, roof raising stomp-a-thon of a show!!

More event info: www.facebook.com/events/420162034806245/

Friday 6th March: OldTown - Pirate, Gypsy, Balkan

Special Guests plus Tragic Roundabout

The Pirate village is open… filled to its rickety rafters with seadogs and scoundrels this rum soaked spot will house some of the seven seas most unscrupulous pirate bands! Pirate costumes or related attire is a must for this heavily themed night of dubious morals and outright foolishness!

More event info: www.facebook.com/events/1595441817357558/

Sunday 5th April – KidzTown Easter Excursion

Workshops, activities and PG rated bands and a treasure hunt!

Day time event running from mid-afternoon – early evening.

Check website for more details: www.boomtownfair.co.uk/city-guide/city-districts/kidztown-1

Friday 10th April – Barrio Loco

Mouse Outfit / Dead Players (High Focus) / Gardna

Manchester’s nine piece live hip-hop crew Mouse Outfit will be bringing their smorgasbord of soul, jazz, funk and reggae sounds to head up Circus of Boom’s showcase of the Barrio Loco district. Accompanying them on the bill are High Focus boys Dead Players with their straight up UK hip-hop sounds with Bristol’s own Gardna kicking things off…

More event info: www.facebook.com/events/688848837898831/

Sunday 19th April: TrenchTown - Reggae & Dub

The Skints plus Special Guests

One of the most exciting bands to have ever graced the mighty Lion’s Den temple at BoomTown and  closing this first series of Circus of Boom with a bang are The Skints, who will be swinging by as part of their UK headline tour. With a brand new album on the way, totally new material will be mixed in with the tunes that have become the soundtrack to a summer for many a BoomTown veteran.

More event info: www.facebook.com/events/306880376189625/

BoomTown Fair 2015 - Noisia announced as First Headliner

BoomTown Fair 2015 - Noisia announced as First Headliner

BoomTown Fair likes to do things a little differently across the board and making announcements is no exception to this! The full throttle, immersive event has just released their first headliner and new stage plans for the DownTown part of the Fair in the first two parts of an ingenious three part series of short films that put the ever evolving storyline of the BoomTown Chronicles centre stage!! In this introduction to Chapter 7, part one hinted at plans for the ‘biggest build BoomTown has ever seen’ and part two, released today, saw the first act for this ‘epic new centrepiece’ announced as acclaimed Drum and Bass trio Noisia!! 

After three years of negotiations and the most requested act from BoomTown’s DownTown residents, this is one of the most anticipated bookings in the history of DownTown BoomTown! The final part of the Chapter 7 introduction trilogy is due to be released mid-January and will give even more hints to what can be expected from the brand new ‘Palace’ stage!!!

PART ONE VIDEO

PART TWO VIDEO

BoomTown Fair is a astoundingly creative festival, mixing cowboys with pirates and aliens with Aztec temples across 20 themed main stages and the countless smaller shop fronts, hidden beach parties and psychedelic forest gatherings! This sprawling metropolis provides a temporary haven of hidden surprises, pulsating music and mesmerising audio-visuals to allow each of its 40,000+ citizens to go on an ultimate voyage of discovery within the labyrinth-esque streets.

To find out more about the BoomTown story head on over to the website to read up on the fascinating fictitious history! http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/tourist-info/town-history

Tickets went on sale on 4th November with 4,000 tier one tickets selling out in a matter of hours. Tier Two and Three tickets are still available starting at £135 (+BF and EcoBond) Tickets Available Here

Keep up-to-date with all news via facebook and twitter or sign up to the BoomTown Chronicles newsletter via their website.

NOTES TO EDITOR:

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW:

Tier 1: £120 (+BF and EcoBond) – SOLD OUT

Tier 2: £135 (+BF and EcoBond)

Tier 3: £155 (+BF and EcoBond)

Tickets link here

BoomTown Fair - Tickets released 7pm tonight

BoomTown Fair - Tickets released 7pm tonight

The wait is finally over!! Tickets for the UKs most ridiculous and fully interactive festival, BoomTown Fair will be released at 7pm tonight (Tuesday 4th November). With the much anticipated date finally here thousands of tickets are expected to be snapped up within minutes by eager BoomTown Citizens in preparation of the festival’s return to Matterley Estate, Winchester over 13th – 16th August 2015. This incredibly popular event has sold out every year for the past six years and with the demand for discounted tickets at an all-time high last year, BoomTown have teamed up with a brand new ticket provider and allocated even more tickets into the cheaper tiers meaning that a third of all tickets available at a discounted rate!!

All three tiers of tickets will go on sale from 7pm this evening via BoomTown Fair’s website: www.boomtownfair.co.uk/tickets and the new ticket partner’s website here. The Fairs’ staggered pricing structure aims to make the event as affordable and inclusive to as many people as possible, with BoomTown actively encouraging those who can afford it to buy the higher priced options. Prices range from: tier one £120, tier two £135 and tier three £155 – (all plus booking fee and EcoBond)

For those who like to have a more hands on approach to festivals, the applications to get involved in pretty much anything at the Fair are now open. Ranging from nearly every conceivable idea BoomTown is currently on the lookout for people to send in their far flung creative fantasies and maybe see it come to life on site at the UKs most interactive and immersive festival. For full details on how to apply head on over to the festival website here: www.boomtownfair.co.uk/contact/get-involved

BoomTown’s sprawling metropolis provides a temporary haven of hidden surprises, pulsating music and immersive audio-visuals to allow each of its thousands of citizens to go on an ultimate voyage of discovery within the labyrinth-esque streets. With a soundtrack of ska, folk, gypsy, reggae, world, punk, pirate, disco, electro-swing, jazz, blue-grass, breaks, bass, jungle, techno and a whole lot more, even if visitors to the Fair only came for the music, as is the calling card for most traditional music festivals, the sheer array of musical masters to uncover is huge!!

BoomTown’s rapid growth since inception in 2009 has seen it become one of the top 10 largest festivals in the UK and the only independent one of its size! Chapter 7 will take place from 13th – 16th August 2015 at the Matterley Estate, Hampshire, UK. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday 4th November at 7pm via the BoomTown website from £120 (+BF & Eco bond) www.boomtownfair.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITOR:

TICKETS ON SALE AT 7PM TUESDAY 4TH NOVEMBER 2014                            

Tier 1: £120 (+BFand EcoBond)

Tier 2: £135 (+BFand EcoBond)

Tier 3: £155 (+BFand EcoBond)

www.boomtownfair.co.uk/tickets

Eventbrite Ticket Link

BoomTown festival 2014 final acts announced

Chapter six of BoomTown’s annual Fair is set to surpass anything they’ve done before, and that is no mean feat for the UKs most boundary pushing festival! New additions to its already immense line-up include one of the biggest crossover successes in dancehall reggae, the one and only Shaggy! As well as blues, country, electro fusion outfit Alabama 3 and the final edition to the bill is legendary Jamaican ska institution The Skatalites, if any one band could be attributed to brining the genre out of its homeland and to the masses, it’s this ever evolving line-up of ska stalwarts! These newly announced acts will be joining the hundreds of artists already announced including headliners The Cat Empire, NOFX, Jimmy Cliff, The Wailers, Tinariwen and Bellowhead.

Other musical treats in store at the 2014 fair will include the very welcome return of Tribe of Frog’s psytrance forest party. Just one of the many secret forest parties to be found around the city’s outskirts, Tribe of Frog landed in 2013 and bought with them a brand new world of colourful psychedelic lunacy that captured many a BoomTown resident for the entire weekend in the sun dappled, sandy forest clearing hosting giant butterflies and happy souls! More information can be found here: http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/city-guide/main-stages/tribe-of-frog

With all the bands and the theme of Outrageous Carnival now announced, it is time for all potential BoomTown residents to make the vital decision of which district they will make their home for the four days and nights of utter escapism and proper old fashioned fun! Each of the eight districts have their own flavour and theme, to get a taste of the difference and the full line-ups take a peek at the ‘Explore Our World’ guided tour of the city from BoomTown HQ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=caYp6IYSgwc

BoomTown Fair aims to be affordable and accessible to all and has a series of measures to ensure that all potential citizens get the chance to be a part of the spectacular show! From the easy payment plan to a whole host of job opportunities, there is every reason to get involved:

Easy Payment Plan, pay just £40 by this Friday 2nd May to secure a ticket and then pay as much as you can afford when you can, as long as the full ticket price is all paid up by 1st July. For full details head to: https://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/tickets/boomtown-fair-2014/10028744&wlid=3945

Tickets are still available from the website at the final tier price of £150 (+BF & EcoBond): http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/tickets. Headliners for the festival include: The Cat Empire, NOFX, Jimmy Cliff, The Wailers, Tinariwen, Bellowhead, Afro Celt Sound System, Playing for Change, Raggasonic, Lady Saw, UK Allstars World Debut, Babylon Circus, Toasters, Tipper, Boddika, Special Request, Eats Everything and many more…

BoomTown Fair announces over 400 bands

Over the past month the world’s biggest pop-up city festival, BoomTown Fair has unveiled the 400 plus artists set to perform within the make-believe metropolis this summer. Taking place over 7th – 10th August in Hampshire, BoomTown Fair’s new headliners include; Irish-African fusion Afro Celt Sound System, French gypsy gyrators Babylon Circus, pioneering banging bass producer Eats Everything and American ska innovators, The Toasters and Voodoo Glow Skulls. These top notch international acts will appear alongside all previously announced artists including; The Cat Empire, NOFX, Jimmy Cliff, The Wailers, Tinariwen, Bellowhead, Tipper, Raggasonic and hundreds more, plus there is still one extra special Saturday night headliner still to be unveiled!

All eight of the district line ups have now been released covering a huge and diverse range of acts and genres from all over the world: Blues from Mali and Jamaica, dancehall from France and Bermuda, gypsy from Spain and Australia, electro-swing from Italy and Switzerland, big brass bands from Rajasthan and New Orleans, Afro-Funk from Wales and Columbia, Pirate bands from Holland and Texas, ska out of Sweden and Scotland and folk-punks from Canada and Ireland to name just a few! See below for an overview of each district and some of the musical highlights to keep an eye open for!

OldTown District can be found beyond the hustle and bustle of the Town Centre, it houses the ramshackle remnants of the glory days amongst the dilapidated buildings of this once the thriving port from BoomTown’s rise to greatness, however OldTown has long since been the dwelling of pirates and despicable souls!! Saturday will see a full on Pirate takeover of all venues and stages of OldTown, with a total influx of all things pirate! Swashbuckling their way through all the pirate madness are other acts include; Russkaja, WooHoo Revue, The Destroyers, Diving for Sunken Treasure and Tako Lako.

Mayfair Avenue is the hub of high class with its swanky electro-swing clubs and live swing bands, venues include; The Ballroom, The Gentlemen’s Club and Bump (Roller Disco). Get ready for the hottest party in town as the Masked Ball will be swooping into the streets of MayFair on Sunday evening! Top acts to be found mingling with the BoomTown glitterati are: Klischée, The Sweet Life Society and Electric Swing Circus, Smokey Joe & The Kid.

ChinaTown is filled with the most ‘avin it levels of punk: ska punk, rockin’ punk, folk punk and polka punk, as well as a healthy dollop of ‘hell jazz‘n’roll’ thrown in for good measure! The venues include the ChinaTown Courtyard and Devil Kicks Dancehall, acts heading up the bill for the weekend comprise of ground-breaking American Ska band, Voodoo Glow Skulls, pioneering their blend of hard-core and ska these stalwarts have been striding it out since the mid-80s and will give the Devil Kick’s Dancehall one almighty a closing party as the last band on Sunday night! Over on the ChinaTown Courtyard are Jaya the Cat, treating the ChinaTown folks to an uncompromising and original mix of reggae, punk rock and ska!

Whistlers Green has recently been upgraded and rejuvenated. This culture oozing zone of BoomTown is on hand to soothe your aching soul with some of the very best this globe has to offer in folk, blues and world music, all within its very own main stage, The Old Mines. Along with headliners multi-award winning Afro Celt Sound System, Tinarwen, Bellowhead and Playing for Change there will be lesser known, but equally absorbing artists such as Beans on Toast, Treacherous Orchestra, Dizraeli and the Small Gods, Sam Lee & Friends and many more. This area will be providing the soundtrack to a perfect summer’s day with uplifting melodies and triumphant tunes!

Wild West, amongst the dusty streets and housed in the rickety buildings of this freshly re-discovered area of BoomTown, the ultimate in Hillbilly, Bluegrass, Cajun, Yehaa, Cowpunk, Dirty Blues and of course Scrumpy and Western can be found! Heading up the bill is harmonica and beatboxing blues guru, Son of Dave, festival regulars Pronghorn and along with some of the very best band names on the scene: Lumberjack Cowboy Heartbreak Trucking Company, Screamin' Miss Jackson and the Slap Ya Mama Big Band and Johnny Cage and the Voodoo Groove to mention just a few!!!

TrenchTown not only boasts the best in dub, reggae, dancehall and jungle, but possibly three of the most notable stages that any one district alone has to offer, with The Lion’s Den Aztec temple, Tangled Roots forest party and the Hidden Woods sun-drenched clearing. TrenchTown is where reggae legends Jimmy Cliff and The Wailers can be found alongside many up and coming gems including Bermudan dancehall MC Uzimon with his borderline parody lyrics that are as funny as they are clever and Brushy One String, if sunshine and smiles were to be combined in human form it would be Brushy and his guitar’s one string of happiness!

DownTown hosts some of the most popular venues for late night shenanigans including Arcadia, BoomBox, the Dance Off, The Bodyshop and ASBO Disco. Lurking within these seedy establishments is the very best in breaks, break-core, drum’n’bass, garage, gabba, grime, jungle etc… Featuring on amongst 100’s of other is one of the most exhilarating talents to come out of the scene in recent times, Rockwell! There will also be a full on Old Skool takeover of DownTown with 2 Bad Mice, Altern8, Billy Bunter, Ray Keith and Aphrodite on the Sunday night.

Barrio Loco, the winning district at the 2013 elections, showcases dirty bass in its multitude of venues including Poco Loco and Circo Baile. With the newest headliner on the bill, the omnivorous beat-maker Eats Everything, currently at the forefront of an emerging wave of talented producers to come out of the West Country’s bass epicentre Bristol, helping define an entirely new genre of forward-thinking underground music. Along with other amazing dance music frontrunners, Special Request, Stanton Warriors, Ms Dynamite and many more!!

Tickets are still available from the website at the final tier price of £150 (+BF and EcoBond): http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/tickets. Headliners for the festival include: The Cat Empire, NOFX, Jimmy Cliff, The Wailers, Tinariwen, Bellowhead, Afro Celt Sound System, Playing for Change, Raggasonic, Lady Saw, UK Allstars World Debut, Babylon Circus, Toasters, Tipper, Boddika, Special Request, Eats Everything and many more.

First acts announced for BoomTown 2014

Having already announced a brand new main stage celebrating folk and world music, as well as the theme of Carnival, BoomTown have issued some pretty exciting news so far this year and now to add to the ever mounting anticipation for one of the summer’s most immersive and theatrical events, BoomTown has revealed the initial wave of artists for the sixth instalment of the Fair!! First up, is the welcome return to the UK festival circuit after a seven year hiatus, The Cat Empire! Other headliners of this incredibly diverse festival include one of the biggest names in Californian ska-punk NOFX, the most well-known band in the history of reggae The Wailers, another reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, Grammy Award winning Mali musicians Tinariwen, eight-time winners at the BBC Folk awards Bellowhead and at the other end of the musical spectrum; queen of the dancehall Lady Saw, French ragga supremoes Raggasonic, the world debut outing of the UK Allstars, electronic mastermind Tipper and the raw electronic sounds of Boddika. This is one seriously hot initial line-up looking to set the summer on fire! BoomTown Fair is held over 7th – 10th August at the Matterly Estate, Winchester and caters for a huge amount of musical tastes from folk and world music, all the way through to the soul penetrating bass of ragga and jungle.

Accompanying the headliners The Cat Empire and NOFX on the ska, swing and punk stages are:  New Orleans Hot 8 Brass Band, bringing their version of the traditional marching band right up-to-date with bass, funk and hip-hop sounds.There will also be cheeky cockney chappies Chas n Dave with their special blend of ‘Rockney’; Hayseed Dixie will be bringing a unique take on AC/DC classics with their very own genre of ‘Rockgrass’.  The irrepressible [dunkelbunt] and the Secret Swing Society, five piece folk-punk outfit The Dreadnoughts; lost legend of Ska Freddie Notes, along with; Tape Five, Phoenix City Allstars feat Rhoda Dakar, Russkaja, Woohoo Revue, The Destroyers, The Trojans, Molotov Jukebox,  La Selva Sur, Babyhead and Horace Panter's Uptown Ska Collective.

In addition to very welcome return of Jimmy Cliff, the inaugural appearance at BoomTown of French trio Raggasonic and the first-lady of dancehall and GRAMMY winner Lady Saw, the reggae, dub and jungle stages are going to be shacking to the sound of some of the meatiest basslines in the world of reggae and dub! One of the most exciting acts to venture into the Lion’s Den, is the world debut of the UK Allstars, as the name suggests, this line up consists of the ultimate selection of originators from UK dancehall; Congo Natty, Congo Dubz, Tippa Irie, Top Cat, General Levy, Daddy Freddy, Sweetie, Irie, Tenor Fly and Nanci & Pheobe!!!  Also bringing the full force of their bass to the incredible Lion’s Den temple stage will be Warrior King, Easy Star All Stars performing the entirety of ‘Dub Side of the Moon’, Chronixx & Zinc Fence Redemption, Dawn Penn, The Skints, Mungo’s Hi-Fi Full Sound System, Macka B & The Roots Ragga Band, Benny Page, Raging Fyah, The Heatwave, Robbo Ranx & Stylo G & Sister Nancy.

With folk and world music a key focus for BoomTown this year and a dedicated brand new stage to host it all, there is set to be a huge influx of live acts to the festival with much more acoustic music available to soak up and chill out in one place; with international big hitters such as Tinariwen and Bellowhead the first announced headliners, along with global music movement Playing For Change Band, created to inspire and connect the world through music and with some of the most recognisable names in world music involved this is one collective of musicians not to miss! Mercury Award nominee Sam Lee and Friends, the incredible Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate, the whirling dervishes of English folk 3 Daft Monkeys, BoomTown favourite Dub FX, along with Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit, Eliza Carthy, The Bad Shepherds, Treacherous Orchestra, Dizraeli & The Small Gods, Skinny Lister, La Chiva Gantiva and Beans On Toast.

Meanwhile, down in the depths of DownTown, amongst the Arcadia Spider BoomBox and the BodyShop is where the bassiest of bass and the most broken of beats can be found!! Confirmed so far are: Tipper, Boddika, Special Request, Hannah Wants, Dub Phizix & Strategy, Ms Dynamite, Mele’ & Slick Don, Friend Within, Rockwell, Stanton Warriors, Kahn & Neek, Proxy, Optiv & Btk, Black Sun Empire, Aphrodite, Bong Ra, Kry Wolf, Zed Bias, My Nu Leng, Swindle & Royal T, Altern8, Machine Code, Panachea, DJ Champion, Mouse Outfit, Jus Now,.

This is just the first of the confirmed acts, more acts will be announced in the coming weeks, to keep up with all new news sign up to the BoomTown newsletter via the website (www.boomtownfair.co.uk/) or follow BoomTown on Facebook (www.facebook.com/boomtownfair1).

FULL LINE UP SO FAR:

SKA, SWING AND PUNK STAGES:

The Cat Empire / NOFX / Hot 8 Brass Band / Chas and Dave / Hayseed Dixie
/ [dunkelbunt] and the Secret Swing Society / The Dreadnoughts / Freddie Notes / Tape Five / Phoenix City / Allstars feat Rhoda Dakar / Russkaja / Woohoo Revue / The Destroyers / The Trojans / Molotov Jukebox / La Selva Sur / Babyhead / Horace Panter's Upown Ska Collective

REGGAE, DUB AND JUNGLE STAGES:

Jimmy Cliff / Raggasonic / Lady Saw / UK Allstars – feat: Congo Natty, Congo Dubz, Tippa Irie, Top Cat, General Levy, Daddy Freddy, Sweetie Irie, Tenor Fly, Nanci and Pheobe / Warrior King / Easy Star All Stars  / Chronixx / Dawn Penn / The Skints / Mungo’s Hi-Fi full Sound System / Raging Fyah / The Heatwave / Robbo Ranx and Stylo G / Jus Now

FOLK AND WORLD STAGES:

Tinariwen / Bellowhead / Playing For Change Band / Dub FX / Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit / Eliza Carthy / The Bad Shepherds / Treacherous Orchestra / Sam Lee and Friends / Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyate / 3 Daft Monkeys / Dizraeli and The Small Gods / Skinny Lister / La Chiva Gantiva / Beans On Toast

BREAK AND BASS STAGES:

Tipper / Boddika /  Special Request / Hannah Wants / Dub Phizix and Strategy / Ms Dynamite / Mele’ and Slick Don / Friend Within / Stanton Warriors / Kahn and Neek / Proxy / Optiv and Btk / Black Sun Empire / Aphrodite / Altern8 / Kry Wolf / Zed Bias / My Nu Leng / Rockwell / Swindle and Royal T / Bong Ra / Machine Code / Panachea / DJ Champion / Mouse Outfit feat. Dr Syntax and Sparkz

BoomTown Fair early bird tickets on sale TODAY

BoomTown Fair: 7th – 10th August 2014, Matterly Estate, Winchester

www.boomtownfair.co.uk

BoomTown Fair is once again retuning to its home of the Matterly Estate, Winchester from 7th – 10th August 2014 and the Early Bird tickets are on sale from 7pm today!!! The coveted discount Early Bird tickets will be available via the website, starting at £110 (plus booking fee and eco bond). The early bird tickets usually get snapped up in super-fast time, last year all of them were gone in just six minutes! This year, to help eager BoomTown residents get their hands on these prized tickets, BoomTown Fair town council have issued the following helpful ‘buyers guide’: http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/news/boomtown-fair-2014-ticket-guide-191 

There have already been some exciting announcements made for this much celebrated arts, music, performance and theatre festival that explores a whole range of different musical genres; new additions include a brand new huge folk stage, a Wild West zone and with the new Town Mayor, Burria Jose from Barrio Loco district plotting her first move as town mayor, the 2014 event will see some very interesting developments! To keep an eye on all updates follow the festival on facebook, twitter and sign up to the BoomTown Chronicle via the website. 

BoomTown Fair is a 30,000 capacity festival that has been running since 2009. Its home since 2011 is Matterly Estate in Winchester. Expanding over the bowl to incorporate the surrounding woodland, BoomTown Fair is a pop-up city that provides immersive escapism to all that attend. With fully interactive purpose build buildings and outside areas, each and every of the 300 mini venues has secrets lurking inside, just waiting to be discovered! With mysterious telephones scatted across the site providing impromptu treasure hunts, tardis like venues that lead the explorer on a wondrous journey into the depth of the unknown, gargantuan 30ft hidden temple, sun soaked woodland beach parties and a whole host of madness and mystery, BoomTown Fair is a festival unlike any other! In addition to the hundreds of micro venues, the 25 large venues, seven distinct districts and three main stages, the festivals also pays great attention to building upon the narrative each year, exploring storylines in greater detail, adding to the richness of the BoomTown experience!

BoomTown Fair Sold Out

THURDAY 8th – SUNDAY 11th AUGUST 2013
MATTERLY ESTATE – WINCHESTER
BoomTownfair.co.uk
http://www.radioboomtown.co.uk/
 

With exactly one month to go until BoomTown Fair returns, the festival has now sold out for the fifth year running and over 26,000 eagerly expectant residents are gearing up for four days of unadulterated escapism in the UKs maddest city! For those without tickets there is a last chance saloon to get involved when the unclaimed deposit tickets go on resale at 7pm this Friday, 12th July… After searching high and low, Julian Marley has been announced as a very fitting replacement for Toots and the Maytals, and two top notch reggae super stars are confirmed as secret headliners for the newly discovered Lion’s Den temple! Other highlights to expect from BoomTown Fair include the full Arcadia Spectacular show, seven diverse districts to align with, more than 30 mini venues to be discovered and over 300 party-tastic musical acts on hand to provide the perfect soundtrack to a long weekend of fully immersive indulgence!

With tickets selling at a record speed for 2013, BoomTown Fair has now officially sold out. However, all is not lost for those who still wish to get their hands on one of the coveted resident passes to the ‘UKs Maddest City’, the unclaimed deposit tickets will go on re-sale this Friday (12th July) from 7pm via the BoomTown website, but be sure to get in there early as the amount is limited and expected to disappear at some pace!

In answer to Toots and the Maytals unexpectedly cancelling their European tour and no longer able to attend BoomTown, the town council have been beavering away to find a suitable replacement and are giddy with excitement to welcome Julian Marley to the Town Centre! Julian is the only son of Bob Marley to be born and raised in the UK and is a Grammy Award nominated, roots-reggae musician, singer-songwriter, producer and humanitarian in his own right. A selection of other acts to be joining Julian on the UK’s only reggae and ska focussed main stage are; Parov Stelar Band, Mad Caddies, Ozomatli, Arrested Development and The Neville Staple Band. There are also two extra special secret headliners for the Lion’s Den to be announced onsite who will be sharing the bill with already announced reggae legends; Gentlemen and the Revolution, Richie Spice, Lee Scratch Perry and Collie Buddz, plus many more!

Moving on from the mind-blowing line-up to the mind-blowing installations that BoomTown has to offer, fresh from the fields of Pilton is the mega beast of Arcadia, all set to fire up with the full Spectacular show (only seen at Glastonbury and BoomTown), which includes astounding aerial acrobatics, projection mapping, lasers and flame throwing pyrotechnical displays, dishing out a hefty dollop of shock and awe, it is the perfect opener for hours of uninterrupted high octane DJ sets from the likes of South Central, Calyx and Teebee, LTJ Buken, Slipmatt and Billy Daniel Bunter, DJ Zinc plus many more, including BoomTown’s very own Mayor! To get a sense of what to expect from Arcadia check out this video from Glastonbury 2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDhNBF35fFw

With the city splitting into seven distinctly different and fully immersive districts, each with its own unique take on complete and utter madness, it is up to the BoomTown residents to choose which area they wish to align themselves with for the duration of the festival. Residents are encouraged to pick their fancy dress outfits around the district they ‘belong to’ and there will even be onsite elections for the post of Town Mayor… Here’s a recap of the districts and what can be expected:

Chinatown: Ska / Punk in the new far eastern district

http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/city-guide/city-districts/chinatown-1

May-fair Avenue: Swing city / vintage remix / seriously silly

http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/city-guide/city-districts/mayfair-avenue-2

Barrio Loco: Bassline / Hip to the Hop / Funk n Circus rave in

http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/city-guide/city-districts/barrio-loco

Oldtown:  Gypsy / Balkan / Carny / Pirate in the City’s original district

http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/city-guide/city-districts/oldtown-1

Hold it down town: Quiet...ish / tranquil / kidz zone / folk / poetry / healing in

http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/city-guide/city-districts/holditdown-district

Trenchtown: Ragga / Dancehall / Reggae / Jungle massive in

http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/city-guide/city-districts/trenchtown

Downtown: Broken beats / fire / Hussling and gambling in the red light district of

http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/city-guide/city-districts/downtown-1

To speak to the district councillors or the Town Mayor directly or other fellow district dwellers, the BoomTown forum now has a category dedicated to District banter visit here - http://forum.boomtownfair.co.uk/

Don’t forget that the unclaimed deposit tickets will go on resale at 7pm Friday 12th July via the BoomTown website: BoomTownfair.co.uk and keep up-to-date on all news and announcements via facebook and twitter. www.facebook.com/boomtownfair1 & @BoomTownFair

BoomTown Fair announce Full Line-up

THURDAY 8th – SUNDAY 11th AUGUST 2013
MATTERLY ESTATE – WINCHESTER
BoomTownfair.co.uk

New Lion’s Den Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KABvLlrds4U&noredirect=1

The unstoppable force of BoomTown Fair has now announced its full line-up consisting of over 300 of the best, bonkers and boom-tastic acts this planet has to offer! With the first line-up announcement consisting of heavyweights such as The Parov Stelar Band, Ozomatli, Toots and the Maytals, Mad Caddies, Arrested Development, Richie Spice and Collie Buddz, new headline acts include Bad Manners and Gentleman and the Evolution. Also freshly announced are an abundance of acts that may not be on the usual festival goer’s radar but are guaranteed to provide some of the most magical moments at BoomTown 2013! Taking place over 8th – 12th August in the Matterly Estate, Winchester, BoomTown will envelope its residents in a handpicked world of ska, punk, bass, folk, gypsy, swing, reggae, roots, jungle and drum ‘n’ bass, for four days of unadulterated escapism and musical indulgence!

Bad Manners will once again be gracing the streets of BoomTown after their high octane headline performance back in 2011, the ska legends will be taking to the Town Centre (Main Stage) ahead of The Parov Stelar band on Sunday evening to ramp up proceedings, ensuring that the festival is seen out in true BoomTown style! Whilst over in TrenchTown, BoomTown reggae fans will be treated to the sublime roots reggae delights of Gentleman and the Evolution to guarantee the sunshine vibes are blasted out good ‘n proper!

Although BoomTown packs in some superstar big hitters from ska, reggae and bass cultures, they also dedicate a big chunk of their line up to the lesser known, grass roots talents that make the scenes they celebrate so loved throughout the globe! With an abundance of acts on the bill for this year, it is hard to know where to start when faced with such an impressive range of top-notch international acts from a vast spectrum of awesome genres. To help with this, the Mayor of BoomTown has picked out a selection of acts from each of the seven districts as top tips to keep an ear out for – this is just the tip of the iceberg but we’ve got to start somewhere!

TrenchTown boasts the best in dub, reggae, dance hall and ‘Jungle-is-massive’ sounds throughout its three unique venues; The Lion’s Den, Aztec Bar and the Hidden Woods. A selection of the esteemed guests heading in from the various corners of Europe to visit this district include; Swedish reggae superstar, Million Stylez, the Polish reggae and hip hop mashups of Dreadsquad, the versatile and unique approach to all sub genres of reggae & bass music from Croatia’s Balkan Hi-Fi, Radikal Guru’s combination of dubstep with roots reggae and UK dub, French heavyweight crew Dub Inc’s combo of dub, reggae, ska and rap, and mega stars within the German-speaking reggae scene, I-Fire; plus one of this country’s own bonafide reggae legends, the mighty Jah Shaka, will be bringing his full soundsystem and hosting a massive street party.

DownTown hosts some of the most popular venues for late night shenanigans including Arcadia, BoomBox – where the infamous Dance Off can be found, The Bodyshop, and the ever debauched Asbo Disco. Keep an eye out for; The Outside Agency, hailing from Holland, they fit the bill of The Bodyshop perfectly by delivering a perfect blend of dark and industrial elements at almost every conceivable speed, covering everything from old acid to breakcore and anything in between! Lady Waks, a one woman industry: a promoter, producer (winning best breakthrough producer in Breakspoll 2009) and DJ (nominated Best Breakthrough DJ at Breakspoll) she is at the top of her game for anything she turns her hand to and one to experience live! Also be sure to watch out for Riddim Fruit Records, they will be taking over the Boombox with some of the most exciting new names in ghetto-funk, breaks and general big chunky beat bumping goodness!

El Barrio Loco, one of the new districts for BoomTown 2013, showcases dirty bass in its multitude of venues including Poco Loco, Circo Baile & Samedia. The Major’s picks for this district include a globetrotting array of bass junkie, hip-hop, jungleist stylers; French DJ quintet and hip-hop masters, Chinese Man; The Bristol / Trinidad carnival connection of Jus Now whose sound, which mixes up UK bass and Caribbean Soca, has been tearing up the clubs and radio airways recently and are certain to do the same to the streets of BoomTown; UK hip-hop super-group Problem Child will be pumping out their glitched up beats to bring a refreshingly futuristic take on the formula, whilst rappers Dubbledge, Dabbla and Illaman manage to drop some seriously good rhymes without taking themselves too seriously!

The Town Centre is the epicentre of all things ska, party and fun! Known for the being the hub of the action, this stage has welcomed the likes of Gogol Bordello, Jimmy Cliff, Caravan Palace (to name a few) over previous years and will be the backdrop for headliners: Toots and the Maytals, Arrested Development, The Parov Stelar Band, Mad Caddies and Ozomatli this year. Also under the famous Town Centre orbit, keeping the party swinging and the knees skanking, will be massive Scandinavian bands such as: Hoffmaestro, the Swedish ska, electronic and alternative pop band who dare to go where few have been before, mixing up ska with reggae, techno, New Orleans-funk with a dash of country, and Ska ‘N’ Ska, who know how to get things started and make that BoomTown feeling run through the veins!  Plus from France, uber cool Parisian sextet - Les Yeux D'la Tete and Bordeaux’s Les Hurlements D’Leo both blend gypsy rhythms, traditional melodies, jazz leanings and rock sensibilities into musical journeys of love, humour and party madness!

ChinaTown, another new area for 2013, picks up from where OldTown feared to venture, filled with the most ‘avin it levels of punk: ska punk, rockin punk, folk punk and polka punk, as well as a healthy dollop of ‘hell jazz ‘n’roll’ thrown in for good measure! The venues include the ChinaTown Theatre and Devil Kicks Dance Hall, where top spots for the weekend include; the anarchic and often comically political German ska-punk RotFront and folk-meets-global-gypsy royalty - Crash Nomada, who project a unique hybrid of folk music from around the world, supercharged with electric punk-rock energy, this truly international folk-punk outfit from Stockholm have been labelled as Sweden’s best live band numerous times over the years and BoomTown can’t wait to ensnare them in the city walls and keep them forever!

OldTown is filled with Balkan, gypsy, pirate and skankin’ beatz;  The Fat B*stard Gang Band - this mighty fine French Balkan Electro Punk band are known for blowing their audience’s away with their all powerful brass ensemble and a fat rhythm section... Another act to keep an eye for in the heart of OldTown is Räfven, at first glance seemingly a collection of eight odd ball Gypsy Punks, but once on stage they morph into one single organism that delivers a frenetic and untamed mix of music that's guaranteed to send people just a little bit silly!

Mayfair Avenue is the hub of high class - its swanky electro swing clubs and live swing bands venues include; The Fitz-Sloane Manor, The Bank, The Park Hotel, Bump (Roller Disco), The Bling Bar and Last Aid; acts to watch out for amongst the BoomTown glitterati are: Swingrowers, a young, dynamic Italian duo from Palermo in Sicily, who have taken vintage swing and buffed its spats up to a dazzling shine, then thrown a glitter ball in for good measure, resulting a respectful update of a beloved genre that has seen them tour with the likes of Parov Stelar and Caravan Palace! And finally, Mac Abbé et le Zombi Orchestr a French rock’n’swing outfit that have a striking stage presence and put on one hell of a show!

These are just a tiny splattering of all that is on offer at BoomTown Fair, see below for a full list of the booked line-up for 2013 and head to the website to start looking into who might be a personal highlight for this year’s global phenomenon that is BoomTown Fair!

www.BoomTownFair.co.uk

BoomTown’s First Major Music Announcement for 2013

THURDAY 8th – SUNDAY 11th AUGUST 2013

MATTERLY ESTATE – WINCHESTER

BoomTownfair.co.uk

The roller coaster ride of BoomTown Fair has well and truly been set in motion… With the all the excitement of the recent Ski-Lift announcement still buzzing in the air, it is now time to unveil the first bunch of musical morsels for the UK’s maddest city this August... The forerunners in this first of two major musical announcements (the second batch to be released next Thursday 14th February) include; the genre defying  Parov Stelar Band, fusion frontiers Ozomatli, ska stalwarts Mad Caddies, Grammy award winning sunshine hip-hop legends Arrested Development, Reggae’s soul master Toots and the Maytals, one of reggae’s most prolific singer/songwriters Richie Spice, international reggae sensation Collie Buddz and the Kingston Band. As well as Foreign Beggars, Redlight, Chinese Man (Live), Dub Inc., Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Gentleman’s Dub Club and so much more...

With the Fair officially splitting up into several different districts this year, the expanse of musical genres nicely reflects the various personalities for each area and unique stage. First up, let take a trip through the ska, swing, folk and punk line-ups:

It is with enormous excitement that BoomTown welcomes the Parov Stelar Band; for those who are unfamiliar with this Austrian DJ, turned uber producer’s work, he has stealthily been taking over the global music scene in recent years with his inspired styles and samples from the most varying of genres (soul, pop, jazz and swing) creating an incomparable and peerless sound. The full band are known for their lively and exuberant live shows and right up OldTown’s street! Next up for the Town Centre Stage is Grammy award winning musical alchemists Ozomatli. This super group from LA effortlessly fuse Latin salsa, urban hip-hop and jazz-funk into their signature sound, which, when seen live emits a rich energy that will perk up even the weariest feet... Another signature sound for BoomTown will come at the hands of the ska heavyweights - Mad Caddies, these stalwarts of ska have been knocking around pleasing ska hungry crowds all over the world for nearly two decades and now it’s BoomTown’s turn!

This first round of artists includes, not one, but TWO Grammy award winners, the second of which are sunshine reggae and positive afro-centric political pioneer’s Arrested Development. With their mega hits ‘Tennessee’, ‘Mr Wendal’ and ‘People Everyday’, they host a back catalogue that defined the sound of a generation, BoomTown will once more be a city filled with smiley faces and overwhelming happiness when this legendary group take to the stage!

Being the friendly bunch that they are at BoomTown, they do like to welcome back some familiar faces and honorary BoomTown residents, this year sees the very welcome return of some of the cream of the crop from BoomTowns’ gone by, including: 2011 headliners and reggae royalty Toots and the Maytals, rocksteady rambunctiousness from The Neville Staple Band (The Specials) as well as The Selecter and the super saucy Molotov Jukebox. Along with BoomTown regulars, The Skints, Babyhead, Ska Cubano, Random Hand and a selection of awesome newcomers; Demented Are Go, Orkestra Del Sol,  Hoffmaestro, Les Hurlements D' Leo, Suicide Bid, The Creepshow and Flap!

Whilst over on the Reggae, dub and jungle stages the first couple of headliners for this year include: one of Jamaica’s leading dancehall stars Richie Spice and one of the most buzz-worthy Reggae artists over the past few years Collie Buddz and the New Kingston Band. Also to be found in the reggae, dub and jungle stages are: Dub Inc., Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Million Stylez, Gentleman's Dub Club, Necessary Mayhem Showcase feat. Tippa Irie & Mr Williamz, Mungo's Hi Fi,  Musical Youth, Iration Steppas meets Channel One in a Dubwise Fashion, Robbo Ranx (BBC Radio 1xtra), Prince Fatty + Horseman, I-Fire, Dreadsquad feat Dr Ring Ding + Kasia Malenda + El Fata, Marcus Visionary, Buggsy (full live band), David Boomah Feat. Only Joe 

And finally for the break and bass stages BoomTown presents... the trailblazing electronic crossover act Foreign Beggars, Bristol based DJ and producer Redlight, the bad ass, old skool hip-hop meets baile funk sounds of the formidable Chinese Man (live), dubstep pioneers Digital Mystikz, Koan Sound, Calyx & Teebee, DJ Zinc, South Central Live, LTJ Bukem & MC Conrad, Opiuo, B.Triats, Mak and Pasteman, Reso, Rack n Ruin, Woz (Black Butter Special)

Sticky, Randomer and Slipmatt b2b Billy Bunter.

With this first mega announcement of the acts confirmed for 2013, the six months to wait until the town gates are opened all of a sudden doesn’t feel too far away - we can almost smell the bunting and feel the bass! The next batch of confirmed artists will be announced next Thursday 14th as a little Valentines gift from  the BoomTown Mayor!

To keep up-to-date on all news announcements sign up to the BoomTown Chronicle via the website: http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/home