Larmer Tree Festival 2016

An intimate crowd of only 4,000, five family friendly days of eclectic music, street theatre and workshops set in the spectacular backdrop of Larmer Tree Gardens with its resident peacocks and macaws.

The dates for the 26th festival of acoustic folk and world music, but also roots, blues, jazz, Americana, reggae are confirmed as 5 days this year from Wednesday 13th to Sunday 17th July 2016.

Line-up

Jamie Cullum, Tom Odell Clean Bandit, The Stranglers, Caro Emerald, and Calexico have been announced as headliners for Larmer Tree Festival. They join Jack Savoretti, Gabrielle Aplin, Quantic, Easy Star All Stars, Eska, Sidestepper, Slow Club, Hot 8 Brass Band, Stevie Parker, The Pictish Trail, Stick in the Wheel, Steve Knightley, Gill Landry, The Little Unsaid, Lau, Afro Celt Sound System, Rozi Plain, This Is The Kit, The Wave Pictures, Cristobal and the Sea, Melt Yourself Down, The HillBenders, Frazey Ford, Natty, Treacherous Orchestra, Dana Immanuel & The Stolen Band, Martin Simpson & Dom Flemons, Ethan Johns & Black Eyed Dogs, Jane Weaver, Sound of the Sirens, Lanterns on the Lake, Gwenno, Fenne Lily, Wildwood Kin, The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Urban Pioneers, The Chris Woods Groove Orchestra, Lady Maisery, Edward II, Cosmo Sheldrake, The Drink, TomQ, Bare Jams, and Coosbay.

Latest additions are Kitty Daisy & Lewis, Holy Moly & the Crackers, Gwenno, Howe Gelb, Pronghorn, Will Varley, Kid Carpet & The Noisy Animals,Adam Beattie, Bite The Buffalo, Bombs, Boudica Boogaloo, Brooke Sharkey, China Bowls, Claire Northey, Count Bobo & The Bullion, Dubi Dolczek, First World Pros, Flats & Sharps, George Cosby, Glowglobes, Ichi, Jennifer Reid, Kefaya, Kid Carpet, Kristin McClement, Laish, Little Thief, Lori Campbell, Marine, Mary Spender, Mt. Wolf, Pachango, Protest Crayon, Rachael Dadd, Sam Kelly, Samuel Jack, Tantz, Tezeta, The Drystones, The Two Man Travelling Medicine Show, Thirstyman, Uberloon, Waterbirds, and Yama Warashi.

The festival have announced a new venue for 2016 called The Chase, which will see the music programmers from Bristol's Colston Hall curate the space and fill it with the best up-and-coming talent.

DJs on the line-up this year include Sweet Memory Sounds - Count Skylarkin presents a tribute to DJ Derek, Still Moving DJs , John Stapleton, We Like to Party, Boogie Nights vs Boogie Round DJs, Beating Heart DJs, Dead Cool DJ set, DJ Funkeasy, DJ Mon & Mo, Frau DJs, Miss Radida, The Daughters of Slaughter DJ Crew, Bowie Breakfast DJ set, and Inkspots (DJ set).

Larmer Tree’s poetry and spoken word headliner on the ARC stage is John Cooper Clarke, plus for children there will be Mr Bloom from CBeebies Plus comedy, theatre & shows, poetry, literature and talks, workshops, family fun, food and drink, and more.

There will be over 100 bands and acts performing on six stages, alongside a comedy club, 150 free workshops and a Sunday carnival.

The festival generally has a lovely chilled atmosphere, and is child-friendly, all set on a gorgeous site in lovely Victorian pleasure gardens with a free campsite next door, with free showers and well serviced toilets. There are also countless other attractions for all ages, including a carnival procession, 150 free workshops, theatre and talks, site art and a dedicated kids' zone.

Tickets

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Tickets are sold on a tiered system. An adult weekend ticket is priced at £225 for all 5 days, £190 for 4 days, and £165 for 3 days, there are Youth (age 10-17), and Children aged under 10 years are free.

The ticket price includes camping for the night(s) of the date(s) of a ticket, and expect them to sell out quite quickly.

The deposit scheme means an adult ticket can be secured for a 1st payment from £56.67, depending upon the number of days required, with youth options also available.

There is an added week-long holiday pass available, these are priced at £250 for adults, and £145 for youth, under 10s free, with a dedicated luxury camping field providing hot showers, toilets, a café, campfire and barbecue area.

Parking is priced at £17.50 for multidays parking and campervan pass are priced at £52.

Day tickets are £45 for Wednesday, or Thursday; £49 for Friday; £69 for Saturday; and £59 for Sunday with youth options also available.

Festival entertainment

The festival has walkabout theatre and over 150 workshops for all ages from Thursday at 2pm onwards. There's circus skills from Thursday to Sunday, and 11 acres of gardens for children to explore with a huge adventure playground!

After the Main Stage finishes at 11pm there's a brand new after-hours DJ venue tucked away in Lostwood to visit. Set among the trees in a clearing in the woods, The Hide is the perfect place to dance the night away. Also open until 4am, The Social is home to acoustic music and chilled out chatting by day, and by night late-night live acts and resident DJs will have the audience dancing till dawn.

Poetry, Literature and Talks

Joining the previously announced 'punk-poet', Dr John Cooper Clarke, are Kate Adie, Ben Haggarty, Stand Up & Slam!, Dr Simon Foster's Rocket Science, Mike Garry, The Antipoet, Living Spit, Dominic Kelly, Bridget Minamore, Malcolm Head, Emma Hooper, Barney Norris, Great Excavations, Publishing 101, Philosophy in the Wild, Dan Simpson, Clair Whitefield, and Sally Jenkinson. Literary Workshops include Writing and the Body, Writing in Nature, Writing Poetry for Performance, Writing for Publication, and Intro to Storytelling.

Street theatre

Larmer Tree Festival brings a huge array of street theatre performance. Crazy characters abound while lavish costumes, outlandish puppetry, capering and clowning are the order of the day.

Fancy dress

The Saturday fancy dress theme has not yet been announced.

Larmer Tree also presents a hand-picked selection of theatre, (staged in the Victorian pavilion Club Larmer) drawn from around the UK, including highlights from the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The magical Lostwood area is expected to return. Celebrating the art of storytelling, poetry, spoken and written word this area is home to 60 free sessions for all ages. Amongst many other favourites the Late Night Storytelling sessions hopefully will be returning for all to enjoy.

Comfy Camping

Larmer Tree also offer Comfy Camping options including tipis in the Wigwam Sam tipi village, bell tent boutique camping with Hotel Bell Tent and for those who really want to be fully immersed in the 1950's theme there is the option of Airstream Trailers.

Video

Here is a short eFestivals film about 2010's Larmer Tree Festival.

More information will be here when available.

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