Shambala Festival 2010

The line-up might be kept under wraps, for this Shambala's tenth year, but this great family friendly festival promises four days of fun, with a large kids area, masses of workshops, woodland antics, crazy carnivals, roaming theatrics, and everyone in fancy dress.

Shambala is a family orientated festival which is held at a secret location on Bank Holiday Weekend from Thursday 26th until Sunday 29th August with the site closing on Monday 30th at Midday.

Line-up

Shambala have notoriously avoided pre-announcing their entertainment line-up every year.

The festival is expected to have five or so stages of music programming including a main stage, lakeside stage (powered by the sun, or if Shambala isn't bathed in glorious sunshine, by a back-up bio-diesel generator), and big top, plus a roller disco, karaoke, contemporary circus performances (tightrope walking, stunning swinging trapeze, pole dancing), and loads more is sure to be planned.

Tickets

Early bird tickets have sold out, as have all tickets normal prices were as follows:
Adult weekend ticket £109
Deposit scheme allows festival goers to pay 50% of the ticket price and pay the rest by Thursday 1st July
Teen (aged 15/16/17yrs) weekend ticket £59
Child (aged 5-14yrs) weekend ticket £25
Child and Teen tickets may only be purchased with adult tickets. Maximum of 3 teen tickets per adult over 21yrs.
Child under 5 Free (but must register)
Van/Car+Caravan pass £30
Car Pass £20 (one per car)
Motor cycles £5
Disabled tickets (2 for 1) Call 0844 870 0000. Valid with proof of middle or higher rate DLA support.
Shambala Express £12-25

Tickets are e-tickets so ticket holders must make sure they have their PIN and password ready for entry. Routing passes must be placed in the windscreen before arrival on site.

Green credentials

In 2010 the festival will be 100% powered by renewable energy, by the wind, sun, waste veg oil and pedalling! Lot's more eco initiatives are expected to be announced this year.

On site

There are also independent films, workshops, talks and debates, comedy, a fresh organic market, fair trade coffee, practical demonstrations, speaker's corner, site art (an art trail and a range of get-involved sculptures), survival courses, a real ale and cider bar with a beer garden, multiple stages and lots of fancy dress.

Meadow

The meadow is expected to return featuring it's very own boating lake. Surrounded by trees, and only accessible over two bridges, this will become the tranquil area of the festival, with healing, workshops, sauna, hot-tubs, and possibly a small stage. The amazing art trails in the woodlands re-invents itself.

New for 2010 is the Qu Junction Stage, Bristol Storytelling Festival in the meadow with a dedicated story yurt, Chai Wallah's stage, a dedicated acoustic stage in a yurt. Back for 2010 is The Roots Yard which gets a bigger tent (and a make-over), and the nets return to the Wilderness Woodland, which will host a new wonderland. There's also a new Bunker Bar. Old favorites like the crazy golf and wacky olympics will take new forms, and expect the Twist & Spout stage, and Wandering Word poetry venue (in a new venue). Expect other new spaces to emerge, which they probably won't tell festival goers about.

Off ground fires

This year organisers are permitting fires in the campsite as long as they are off the ground, as a trial (Fires are still not permitted in the camper van fields however).

Ethos

This small family-friendly green festival focuses on environmental issues and offers the chance to learn new skills and crafts such as silver jewellery, a lantern, or a hobbyhorse.

Kids activities

Each year Shambala offers a wealth of kids activities with a full and diverse program of activities for all ages, such as trampolines, inflatables, music workshops, circus skills, art tent with full programme each day, play equipment and swing-boats, festival newspaper team, puppet shows, cinema, co-operative games, a kitchen academy, DJing, magic, and even a bedtime story tent. Many activities will have themes around cultural awareness, and the environment.

Procession

The theme for the Shambala 2010 Carnival and procession is ELE-MENTAL - think earth wind and fire, the weather, mad elephants, birds, fishes and strange soil creatures.

Leave the car at home

Festival-goers are encouraged to leave their cars at home and cycle to the site (while raising money for the National Cycle Network if they want to get sponsored). The initiative combines Shambala's commitment to encouraging low-impact, fun ways to travel to the event with Sustrans unquenchable enthusiasm for cycling. The free, professionally guided rides to the festival will depart from Bristol, Coventry, Derby, Leicester and Sheffield, lasting between 1-3 days, travelling along the National Cycle Network to the festival site in Northamtonshire.

Fancy dress

The festival is famous for its outrageous fancy dress for the festival's customary Saturday night parade - everyone joins in on this.

More information will be here when available.

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