Big Chill @ Eastnor Castle 2011
Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th August 2011Eastnor Castle, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 1RL, England MAP
£165 for the weekend
Daily capacity: 30,000
Sunday was a totally new experience of festivals for me as I choose to experience a day at big chill with my 5 year old son, so I could review 'the little chill' what the organisers described as one of the premier family areas in festival land, with cabaret, circus skills, games, workshops and book readings to name but a few activities, also with a petting farm in the dedicated family camping site, where kids can get hands on in the farm environment, by feeding the cows sheep and goats or collecting the chickens morning eggs. My boy really enjoyed the book reading by Andy Stanton, before we went to go and listen to the North Mississippi Allstars who absolutely blew me away with their dirty southern blues, they are the real deal, and I cant recommend them highly enough.
And things just got better and better Femi Kuti and the Positive Force brought the solid afro beat to the party, the magnificent colours and soul of the performance brought the sun out into full glory, people danced and sung along to the melodic African chanting, there seemed to be a real rare breed of very eclectic festival goers all converged on this glorious day, basking in the amazing talent on the stage, my son and I then went back to 'the little chill' family area to join the spy school which was taking place, and to listen to Tom Middleton's dad's DJ set, which included a lot of very African beat driven dubstep with trance overtures all mixed in with old school TV favourite theme tunes, to make dads smile. Including the old match of the day theme tune, Knightrider, A Team and Blackadder but to name a few. This was a very accessible set to kids who liked the mayhem and the adults who were having an amble down memory lane.
All in all I would recommend The Big Chill to anyone, having experienced it from a partying with mates angle on Thursday and Friday night, and from a family attendance perspective on the Sunday it really did cover all bases the security were generally very helpful and the grounds were beautiful. You couldn't want for much more from a festival.
review by: Jamie Licence
photos by: Phil Bull
Latest Updates
The Big Chill
festival home page
festival home page
last updated: Wed 20th Apr 2022
The Big Chill won't return in 2014
last updated: Fri 9th Aug 2013
The Big Chill is likely to be replaced
boss Melvin Benn confirms something completely fresh expected next year
boss Melvin Benn confirms something completely fresh expected next year
last updated: Tue 24th Jul 2012
festival details
last updated: Thu 19th Jan 2012
Big Chill 2012 is cancelled
boss Melvin Benn confirms festival will take a year out
boss Melvin Benn confirms festival will take a year out
last updated: Thu 19th Jan 2012