Standon Calling 2009

Standon Calling, now in its ninth year, is held on the grounds of a 16th Century Hertfordshire manor house from Friday 31st July until Sunday 2nd August and promises a unique chance to see some hotly tipped acts, in an intimate festival setting.

The acts confirmed for the festival include Saturday headliners Friendly Fires, plus Hawkwind, Femi Kuti & The Positive Force, Tony Christie, Ladytron, Sun Ra Arkestra, The Whip, Easy Star All Stars, Ed Harcourt, Freeland (Live), Golden Silvers, The Aliens, Tommy Sparks, N.A.S.A., Delphic, Babyhead, The Fabulous Penetrators, Chrome Hoof, Micachu & The Shapes, Eddy Temple-Morris, Dave Haslam, Son Of Dave, Paloma Faith, We Have Band, Dent May And His Magnifecent Ukulele, Casiokids, The Invisible, Selfish Cunt, Chew Lips, Josh Weller, A.Human, Louis Barrabas & The Bedlam Six, Pulled Apart By Horses, Hook And Twin, Delirium Tremens, First Aid Kit, Your Twenties, and Citadels, with many more confirmed. For the line-up details as available please click here.

This year marks the 400-year anniversary of Galileo unveiling his telescope to stunned Venetians and the independent music festival and themed summer party is utilising this as it's theme.

Festival goers are led through themed worlds with spectacles, lights, sound and performance artists guiding their way, with NASA space camps, Stranger Than Paradise's CCCP Cosmonaut Training Centre, tethered hot air balloons, the annual Intergalactic fancy dress competition and Galileo's Space Observatory.

Plus Rockaoke, Salena Godden's Book Club Boutique tipi, Skandalous! presents: Intergalactic Red Light District, Underwater Disco, Beach Hut Karaoke, Heritage Arts' Heliocentre live theatre experience, Extra-terrestrial experts from CERN, Astrological Blind Date with alien Cilla and loads more to be announced.

Friday sees things kick off at midday, and following the launch on the Friday night, the festival peaks with the unveiling of the set-designed secret areas on Saturday night.

Aside from the main stage, Standon Calling, will have four other stages including Apollo stage, Galileo's Observatory, the Standon Love Hotel dance stage (Tokyo's Shinjuku in orbit!) and the spoken word and Twisted Licks tipis.

An adult weekend ticket with camping is priced at £89, a teen (13-17) ticket is priced at £65, children aged 12 and under can go free. To buy tickets click here.

There are numerous stages and the odd unexpected stage appearing from nowhere. The festival boasts a number of bars, one of which is hewn out of an enormous oak tree, secret areas, interactive theatre, swimming pool (with underwater dance area), boutique camping (beach huts, yurts and tipis), kids area, and festival food.

The worlds biggest Eidophone will be built on-site this year: a unique piece of art that transforms songs and sounds into paintings. Plus Book Club Boutique will be bringing their story telling and Heritage Arts are designing a space age stage with interactive theatre.

The organisers are trying to make this festival as ethical and green as possible, recycling all and sundry and sourcing locally where possible and they are raising money for charity too.

More information will be here when available.

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