Shambala Festival 2011

The line-up might be kept under wraps, for this Shambala's eleventh 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. There's no separate arena from the campsite, and there's no restriction on alcohol.

Shambala is a family orientated festival which is held at a secret location on Bank Holiday Weekend from Thursday 25th until Sunday 28th August with the site closing on Monday 29th at Midday.

Line-up

Shambala have notoriously avoided pre-announcing their entertainment line-up every year. However acts leaked out include Lamb, Johnny Clarke, Engine-Earz Experiment, Congo Natty aka Rebel MC, The Bollywood Brass Band, The Correspondents, Red Snapper, Willy Mason, Nick Harper, Beth Rowley, and 17 Hippies.

The festival is expected to have a dozen 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 offers have now ended. An adult ticket is priced at £119 for the weekend.
Teen (aged 15/16/17yrs) weekend ticket £79
Child (aged 5-14yrs) weekend ticket £29
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.

To buy tickets, and decide how you're getting there, click here.

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.

The Shambala Express

The Shambala Express is a subsidised coach service from various locations around the UK, running on both Thursday and Friday again this year. This is the cheapest and most carbon-efficient way to come to the festival. The festival begins as soon as you board, with movies, BIG prize quiz(!) and a Shambala soundtrack. Departures this year from Brighton, London, Bristol, Sheffield and Birmingham and more t.b.c.

Green credentials

In 2011 the festival will again be 99% powered by renewable energy, by the wind, sun, waste veg oil and pedalling! Lot's more eco initiatives are expected to be on site too.

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.

Family Camping Field

2011 will see a new dedicated and separate Family Camping Field with dedicated hot showers and compost loos, situated next to the car park, where families will have priority parking near the festival entrance and a free wheelbarrow service. There will also be a communal BBQ on Thursday and Friday. The Family Yurt will have toddler play space, a baby-sitting club, an early evening cinema and bedtime stories with hot cocoa.

Teen Tent

New for 2011 are a whole host of teen-focussed activities including a new 'Teen Tent' hangout with games galore and turntables for those aspiring DJs. Lot's more to be announced. Budding young news-hounds can join the festival's media team who will have access-all-areas to document the festival.

Big/small

Shambala not only has the Smallest Opera House in the World, the have also booked the Biggest Yurt in Europe to house the acoustic venue - Sankofa's.

Crazy Golf Pairs Championship

Sports enthusiasts get ready to tee off with the first "Crazy Golf Pairs Championship" which promises to be the highlight of the amateur golfing world. Only 32 teams of two can enter the competition to be played on the all-new floodlit Crazy Golf Course (the best in the world!).

Grand Spectacular Finale

Plans are well underway for this year's "Grand Spectacular Finale," with a team of performers, artists and inventors all secretively beavering away to produce what's billed as "the show of the summer that will blow your socks off".

Expect other new spaces to emerge, which they probably won't tell festival goers about. This year there will be more trackway, more loos, more compost loos, and more showers.

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 2011 is yet to be announced.

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 professionally guided rides to the festival will depart from 10 cities including Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, London, Sheffield, Lechdale, Middleton Cheney, Stoke and Coventry, travelling along the National Cycle Network to the festival site in Northamtonshire. Rides range from 1 to 3 days with overnight stays at campsites along the route. 1 day rides cost £10, 2 days £15, and 3 days £20. Under 18's go free. Campsite fees are not included. The first £10 of every cycle ticket goes to support Sustran's work maintaining the National Cycle Network. The remainder helps to cover costs.

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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