Camp Bestival 2008

Bestival launch a new sister festival - Camp Bestival - from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th July 2008, for 10,000 people at Lulworth Castle, set against the backdrop of England's dramatic Jurassic coastline in Dorset.

Camp Bestival is all about bringing back the British Holiday Camp... Bestival style! A place where Hi de Hi camping capers meet the spirit of early festivals and as well as entertainment, comedy, and literature.

There's a wealth of musical talent with a line-up which includes headliners Chuck Berry on Friday, The Flaming Lips on Saturday, and Kate Nash on Sunday. Other live acts include Hercules And Love Affair, The Imagined Village (audio-visual history of British folk music with live supergroup featuring Billy Bragg, Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Sheila Chandra and Chris Wood), Suzanne Vega, Black Kids, dan le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Florence and the Machine and top DJs including Andrew Wetherall, DJ Yoda, Gilles Peterson, Queens of Noize and many more. Click here for the line-up details to-date.

The comedy line-up includes Roy Walker's 'Catchphrase', Andrew Maxwell presents 'Full Mooners', The Pros From Dover, Phil Nichol, Glenn Wool, Craig Campbell, Jason John Whitehead, Andy Askins, Adam Bloom, Sol Bernstein, Pete Cain, Susan Murray, Jonathan Mayor, John Fothergill, David Hadingham, Jeff Innocent, Carl Donnelly and more.

Spoken Word comes from Scroobius Pip Presents… Polar Bear, Poem Inbetween People, Peggy Sue & The Pirates, Gideon Conn, Kate Tempest, Matt Lloyd, AF Harold, John Berkavitch, Riz MC, and Ventriloquist.

Literature at Camp Bestival includes Howard Marks, Richard Milward, Tom Hodgkinson, Joe Stretch, Gautam Malkani, Sebastian Horsley, Henry Hemming, Edward Docx, Marie Phillips, Nigel Spriggs/Daniel Clay, Tom Leveritt, Book Slam - Ben Mellor, Salena Godden, Sophie Woolley & Tawiah, Michael Smith, Nicholas Hogg, Andy & Dave Hamilton, Damian Barr, Gabriela Blandy, and Ross Raisin.

All tickets have sold out. They were priced at £45 for an adult ticket, or £22.50 for a child (aged 13 to 15 on 18/07/2008). Weekend tickets were on sale, priced at £120 for an adult, £60 for a child weekend ticket, with children under-12 free (but require a ticket), and campervans cost £50 per vehicle.

To buy tickets, click here.

Festival goers are asked to join in with the festival spirit and bring a cymbal, trombone or sousaphone for the Saturday to be part of the The World's Largest Marching Band headed up by the Bestival Ukulele Orchestra and Masters Of The Kazooniverse.

Fun for all the family is included so expect a Kids Area filled with magic moments and an abundance of neat treats for little ones of all ages. From a Sports Day on the jousting strip to Story Telling around roaring Campfires, a good ole Cockney Knees Up, Insect Circus, The All Singing Kids Summer Party and dressing up antics, it'll be a jam packed haven for kids and their parents. Plus Lulworth Castle has its very own Animal Farm where the kids can get up close to their super-friendly animals.

Coldcut's Jon More will be serving up a unique 'Sounds For The Kids' DJ set featuring Gospel and Hip Hop versions of timeless treats for tots and the young at heart, including a reggae version of 'This Old Man'.

There's luxury tents, tipis, yurts, bivouacs, airstreams, and gypsy caravans available, or bring your own outdoor living.

Camp Bestival has revealed the fancy dress theme for the inaugural year and it's the Mad Hatter's Tea Party... with a twist! The Alice In Wonderland inspired Tea Party comes to life in Camp Bestival's Magic Meadow on the Saturday afternoon. Set around a gigantic table piled high with cakes, cream teas, and bizarre bits.

The Magic meadow will have oversized animals surrounded by a host of freaky characters designed by Josie da Bank playing suitably silly games, including wonky crochet and 'goodmington' (rather than 'badmington'), with kazoo wizards Masters of the Kazooniverse supplying the soundtrack.

Bestival's Dressing Up Area will be on hand to help the adults get dressed up and there will also be a separate Kid's Dressing Up Area (& Catwalk) so the little'uns can get involved too!

The kid's arts and crafts area will be providing 9 different workshops during the course of Camp Bestival. Using dynamic local artists skilled in all sorts of techniques, they hope to assemble a pretend Tea Party to rival the real event.

Plus there will be a Heavenly Healing area, the Restival chill out zone, The Dingly Dell Trail (formerly known as Theatre in the Woods), the Groovie Movie Solar Powered Cinema, a Happy Campers area, and some Medieval Jousting.

Disabled Info:
Camp Bestival's organisers are committed to making the festival as accessible as possible and great efforts are being been made to achieve this. The Lulworth Castle Grounds are predominantly flat and are partially serviced by a network of paths. However, Camp Bestival is an outdoor event utilising fields and farm land that could pose problems, particularly in wet weather. With a little help here and there though it should definitely be manageable even in adverse weather. Carers can apply for a free carers ticket and a disabled pass. The Disabled Camping Area is positioned near to the main Lulworth Castle entrance and to the Main Stage. Vehicles with a blue badge (or similar) can park in the disabled camping area. Friends will have to park in the main car park, however. There are charging points for electric wheelchairs available upon request and disabled toilets onsite. Contact the organisers if you have further questions.

More information will be here when available.

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