Beautiful Days '11

The Levellers own festival which they hope will "offer not only the best in live music today but to re-create a community spirit that many events nowadays lack or choose to ignore. This event is about people young and old coming together and taking part in something that will be remembered for a long time." It's certainly succeeded in that aim, and has become one of the most popular, selling out most years.

The dates for the ninth Beautiful Days are confirmed as from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st August 2011 at Escot Park, near Fairmile, Devon.

Line-up

The original Big Audio Dynamite headline the Friday night sharing the bill with Gogol Bordello. Headlining the Saturday night are Carter USM (only UK festival appearance), and, as is tradition, the festival founders Levellers will headline the festival on the Sunday night followed by a the usual fireworks spectacular to end the weekend.

Other acts confirmed include Pop Will Eat Itself, Flogging Molly, Tim Minchin, The Low Anthem, Afro Celt Sound System, Hugh Cornwell, Stereo MC's, I Am Kloot, John Grant, The Blockheads, The Mob, Alabama 3 (acoustic & unplugged), Teddy Thompson, Gentleman's Dub Club, Four Men & A Dog, Paul Heaton, The Beat, The Jim Jones Revue, Divokej Bill, Lau, Salsa Celtica, The Wolf People, Sheelanagig, Rory McLeod, Dave McPherson (INME), MojoFury, and The Fabulous Good Time Party Boys. Dance acts announced for The Little Big Top include Kissy Sell Out, DJ Friction, Sigma, Jaguar Skills, Mr. Nice, Maxxi P, Sunfish, FOS Brothers, Trolley Snatcha, and System 7.

The Big Session @ Beautiful Days

Beautiful Days have announced that they have invited the Oysterband to take over The Big Top stage on Saturday 20th August for a classic all-day Big Session line-up headlined by them with Eddi Reader, Roddy Woomble, The Bad Shepherds, Dizraeli and the Small Gods, Jackie Oates, and The Young Coppers.

For the line-up details, stage and day splits, as available, please click here.

Theme

This year's theme will be 'Spots & Polka Dots', with bands and festival goers all wearing something spotty or dotty, plus there will be site art and other things which will tie in with the theme. There will also be a fancy dress competition on Dirty Davey's Bandstand again this year to find the person with the most dotty outfit.

Tickets

Tickets have now SOLD OUT. Early bird tickets are no longer available. An adult weekend camping ticket was priced £110, child (10 to under 16 years of age) weekend camping tickets were £60, children aged 5 to under 10's weekend camping tickets were £30 and under 5's weekend camping tickets were £5. Campervan passes were £35 and car routing/parking passes are £15. There were no day tickets available.

Please make sure you purchase tickets for the age your child will be when they attend the festival, not their age at the time you buy.

The festival will once again be offering free tickets for carers, disabled/flat camping and parking - all of which must be booked in advance. For information about disabled access please email info@beautifuldays.org with 'ACCESS' in the subject line. The festival is striving to be as accessible as possible. Please email with any queries or requests and they will do their best to assist you.

The festival which is licensed for 13,500 will feature music across five stages, and street theatre, as well as site art and sculpture, lots of children's activities a huge children's area in the centre of the festival, theatre, comedy, family camping, camping facilities, licensed bars from local company Otter Brewery, world food, craft stalls, fancy dress, a 'village shop' on site, and more. There is plenty of family camping close to the car parks.

Early entry Thursday

The gates to this summer's Beautiful Days will be opening on Thursday to weekend campers for the first time this year.Those with weekend camping tickets will be able to enter the site between 2pm and 9pm on Thursday 18th August to set up camp. The gates will then re-open for entry at 9am on Friday morning. Stages will not start until Friday afternoon but caterers, traders and bars will be open on Thursday. Festival goers must be off site by midday on Monday 22nd August. The gates will close for entry and re-entry at 3.00pm on Sunday 21st August.

Festival bus timetables

Stagecoach are running buses to the festival site from Exeter on Thursday and Friday this year. There will then be buses returning to Exeter on the Monday morning. No buses will run on Saturday or Sunday. Tickets cannot be booked in advance, just purchase a ticket when boarding – the buses will be clearly marked for BEAUTIFUL DAYS. Extra buses will run as needed. Adult single tickets are £5.00, Under 16's single ticket £3.00 and Under 5's are free. Please note: No return journeys. A Family Explorer (maximum of two adults and three children) is £13. The timetable is as follows:

Thursday 18 August
From Exeter St Davids Station via the Paris Street Bus Station to Escot Park ~ Departs Exeter at 2pm, 4pm & 6pm

Friday 19 August
From Exeter St Davids Station via the Paris Street Bus Station to Escot Park ~ Departs Exeter at 10am, 12 noon, 2pm & 4pm

Monday 22 August
From Escot Park (Red Gate) to Exeter St Davids Station via the Paris Street Bus Station ~ Departs Escot at 9am, 10am, 11am & 12 noon.

There will also be a free shuttle bus running constantly between Feniton Station and the Red Gate at the festival on Thursday 2 - 8pm, Friday 9am – 2pm and on Monday 9am – 12noon.

Please note

Please remember no fireworks, fire lanterns, glass, animals, open fires, petrol generators or unauthorised sound systems are permitted on site. If you bring any of these items you are putting the festivals licence at risk.

Click HERE for information about all aspects of Beautiful Days.

There will be more information here when available.