Public Servant Lifestyle

Festival The Guardian calls 'the most kid friendly in the UK' triumphs again.

Larmer Tree has triumphed again! Even faced with patchy weather the festival was filled with smiles and sunny spirits, not to mention non-stop action-packed entertainment. Jools Hollands’ set on Wednesday was the best yet and the crowds went wild when Lulu joined the band and strutted her stuff to the boogy-woogying crowds and all the peacocks in the beautiful Larmer Tree Gardens.

Pictured (right): Jools Holland on stage at The Larmer Tree Festival - making his annual appearance.

Thursday brought a dazzling set by Courtney Pine followed by Billy Bragg who warmed hearts with some classic old and new favourites. Ozomatli, who the directors have been trying to book for years, made Larmer Tree history with a phenomenal set both on stage and in amongst the crowd who were roused into a Festival frenzy – especially when Billy joined them for an encore!

The latin flavour continued on Saturday with an explosion of salsa from the mighty Los De Abajo and Go Lem System who shook the stage to the rafters on Sunday. Saturday also brought back Dreadzone – the ultimate Festival band - by popular demand to the main stage; the atmosphere was unforgettable as the dub dance grooves rumbled across the gardens and four thousand Larmer Tree lovers screamed for more.

Other highlights included the beautiful but tortured tunes from Michael Wookey, the inimitable Seasick Steve and Kid Carpet as well as Festival favourites Babyhead who put on a magical closing show in the Big Top.

As ever the Larmer Lawns were a-buzz with creativity throughout the weekend with an extensive workshop programme for adults and children. The carnival workshops culminated in the Festival’s most spectacular and noisy Procession ever on Sunday; the theme was Carnival Worlds and adults and children danced and sang around the grounds before gathering in a giant throng of music and colour on the Main Lawn.

The Music and Movies talk by film director Ken Russell with Mark Kermode was so popular that the queues went around the block. Another first and also a great success for this year’s Festival was The Social – a cosy place to chill, catch impromptu live music and play games – where many gathered throughout the weekend.

It’s always so sad when the magical world which unfolds for five days each year comes to an end, but next year is already being planned and no doubt the Festival will just keep on getting better and better!

"...one of the most anticipated events in the South West calendar." - Blackmore Vale Magazine.

About Larmer Tree

If you haven't yet been to the Larmer Tree Festival, then you will no doubt be itching to follow the enthusiastic echoes of thousands of music fans and their families who return year after year to enjoy music from more than 50 bands, and much more, in a truly magical setting. World, folk, roots, blues, jazz, Americana, country and reggae resounds from five stages in the lush, Victorian Larmer Tree Gardens - a beautiful spot created in 1880 as Victorian public gardens and now a designated ‘Garden of National Importance’ - which nestle among Nepalese pagodas and iridescent peacocks in the heart of the remote and beautiful English Cranborne Chase.

A huge area of the gardens is dedicated to children's activities, including workshops, events, storytelling and a team project to create a carnival procession on the Sunday afternoon.

"It's romantic for grown-ups as well." - The Sunday Times.

Similarly, throughout the festival, adults can partake in numerous workshops and therapy sessions, or simply laze on the lawns, soaking up the music, street theatre and unique atmosphere by day, and enjoying more music and dancing as the gardens illuminate at night. Camping is also free, and is right next to the festival site, with free showers and clean toilets! Yes, it’s quite a different festival experience this one – for anyone thinking of the traditional Glastonbury Festival mud bath!

Away From It All

Each year more than four thousand people escape from it all and let the music and atmosphere of these enchanted gardens steal them away from the humdrum of everyday life and enjoy…Past performers have included the likes of: Van Morrison, The Waterboys, Afro Celts, Misty In Roots, Shooglenifty, Eric Bibb, Georgie Fame, Thomas Mapfumo, The Bhundu Boys, The Oysterband, Mary Coughlan, Eliza Carthy, Yat-Kha, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Eddi Reader, Susheela Raman, Lunasa, Martyn Bennett, Edward II & The Red Hot Polkas, Hot Club of Cowtown, Gordon Haskell, Show of Hands, Ron Kavana, Black Umfolosi, Cara Dillon, folk legend Bert Jansch, John Herald, Antonio Forcione, Nick Harper and Thea Gilmore.

"With Jools Holland the night before, I didn't think it was possible for the festival to improve, but I was so wrong." - Salisbury Journal.

Each year the festival promises a unique blend of music from more than 70 international, national and regional bands - from brand new discoveries to world famous acts, over 100 creative workshops for children and adults, the Carnival Procession, parades around the whole festival and an explosion of brilliantly colourful costumes, sounds and movement.

Also on show were a variety of first class street theatre artists popping up in the most unexpected corners of the festival, peacock and macaw spotting amongst the venue’s majestic trees, intimate arbours and ornate Eastern temples and pagodas, delicious food and drink from around the world – from alfresco dining and three well-stocked bars, with meals served from early breakfasts through to late night snacks.

Award Winning Facilities

Prospective festival goers for 2008 will be pleased to hear that last year Larmer Tree Festival won the UK Festival Awards ‘Portaloo Sunset Award For Best Toilets’ so there’s no need to be concerned about 'frightening festival loos' here! As to camping there’s sleeping under the stars in the free campsites – included in the price of your ticket - right next to the festival grounds, with free hot showers. This really is a very different kind of festival!

"Having been once, I'm now hooked, and it is precisely the lack of commercialism, along with its environmentally friendly credentials, that helps to make this such a perfect event." - Salisbury Journal.

Online tickets sales and phone bookings for this year’s Larmer Tree Festival is open now. Last year they all sold out quickly so festival-goers need to act fast if they want to enjoy the event The Guardian newspaper has called: "One of the most kid friendly festivals in the UK." So why not splash out on a 5-day ticket and join in for the whole experience?

Follow this link for a fascinating look at the long history of this unique festival.

For booking, line-up news and other information, visit www.larmertreefestival.co.uk or call: 01725 552300.

Larmer Tree Festival 2008 takes place at Larmer Tree Gardens, Tollard Royal, near Salisbury 16th-20th July. For ticket information and all the latest Larmer Tree news, see www.larmertreefestival.co.uk and sign up to the mailing list.

More information available in Festivals