Wickham Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wickham Festival |
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| Status | Active |
| Genre | folk, world, traditional, rock, pop, comedy |
| Location(s) | Hampshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Next event | 3 August 2023 – 6 August 2023 |
| Participants | See Lineups |
| Capacity | 7,000 |
| Website | wickhamfestival.co.uk |
The Wickham Festival is a fun four-day music event. It takes place in the village of Wickham, England. You can enjoy live music, comedy, tasty food, cool crafts, and even entertainment just for kids! The festival has been called a top 'Family Friendly Boutique Festival' by The Guardian. It has also won awards for being a great festival and live event.
The festival started as the Eastleigh Festival in 2003. The first Wickham Festival was in 2006. It began with folk and traditional music. Over time, it grew to include many types of music. Famous artists from rock and pop have played there. These include Van Morrison and James Blunt. The festival still loves folk and world music too. It has also brought international musicians to the UK.
Contents
Festival History
The Wickham Festival grew from earlier music events. These were the Gosport Festival and the Eastleigh Music Festival. A local organizer named Peter Chegwyn started them.
Early Festivals
The Gosport Festival ran from 1991 to 1995. It had a big tent for concerts. Artists like Roger Taylor from Queen performed. B B King and The Saw Doctors also played there.
Mr. Chegwyn also organized the Gosport & Fareham Easter Folk Festival. This event ran from 2001 to 2011. It featured four days of folk music. There were also workshops and dance shows. This festival later joined the Wickham Festival.
Festival Locations
The festival has moved a few times. It started in Eastleigh before finding its home in Wickham.
Past Locations
The festival took place in Eastleigh from 2003 to 2005. It was called the Eastleigh Music Festival. This event lasted six days. It had free concerts and family fun.
In 2008 and 2009, the festival moved to Stokes Bay. This was due to some issues with the local council. But the festival returned to Wickham in 2010.
Wickham Village
Wickham is a village in Hampshire, England. It has a historic village square. You can find shops, restaurants, and hotels there. Wickham is also home to the Chesapeake Mill. This old mill was built using wood from a famous ship.
The festival has been in Wickham since 2006. The first Wickham Festival had many great performers. These included Richard Thompson and Steeleye Span. The shows were held near the village community center.
Since 2013, the festival has been on fields north of the village. It now has three music stages and a dance stage. There are also food and craft markets. You can find real ale and cider bars too. The festival offers fun for families. This includes a Digital Funfair and a solar-powered movie house. Camping options have also grown. You can even try glamping!
Recent Festivals
2010s Highlights
In 2014, James Blunt played to a huge crowd. About 7,000 people came to see him. Other acts included Lightning Seeds and Bellowhead. The festival also added an Acoustic Stage.
The 2015 festival added an open mic stage. There was also a late-night Festival Club. New viewing platforms helped disabled festival-goers. The festival won 'Best Festival' in its category that year.
More stages were added in 2016. The festival had three covered stages and one open-air stage. There was also a stage for dancers. Camping space grew in 2017. A free concert was held for early arrivals.
In 2018, the festival had five stages. It also brought back late-night comedy. Wickham Festival 2018 won the 'Best Festival' award.
2019 Festival
The 2019 festival had a strong lineup. It featured Graham Nash and Frank Turner. Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland also performed. The second stage was made bigger. The festival won an award for its 'Outstanding Street Food'.
2020 and 2021 Festivals
The 2020 festival was postponed. This was due to the COVID-19_pandemic. All tickets remained valid for 2021. Most artists also agreed to return.
A special 'drive-in' concert was held with Show Of Hands. The 2021 festival took place in August. Deacon Blue and Fairport Convention were added to the lineup.
2022 Festival
The 2022 festival took place from August 4th to 7th. Waterboys were the first act confirmed. Saw Doctors headlined as a UK festival exclusive. Other acts included Martha Wainwright and 10cc.
Lineups
This table shows the main stage headliners and other notable performers.
| Year | Location | Dates | Headliners | Notable performers | Comedy (since 2017) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Eastleigh | 29 July – 3 August | Bob Geldof · The Drifters · Levellers · SAS Band | The Saw Doctors | |
| 2004 | 23 July – 1 August | Bill Wyman · Will Young · Steve Harley | Dionne Warwick · Shane MacGowan · Aled Jones | ||
| 2005 | 4 August – 7 August | The Proclaimers · The Saw Doctors · The Undertones | Hayseed Dixie · Beth Nielsen Chapman | ||
| 2006 | Wickham | 3 August – 6 August | Sparks · Spiers and Boden · Richard Thompson · Steeleye Span | Alabama 3 · Seth Lakeman · King Creosote | |
| 2007 | 2 August – 5 August | Jethro Tull · Eddi Reader · The Saw Doctors | Hazel O'Connor · Shooglenifty · Luka Bloom | ||
| 2008 | Stokes Bay | 31 July – 3 August | Show Of Hands · The UOGB · Levellers | Michael McGoldrick · Chumbawamba · The Blockheads | |
| 2009 | 29 July – 2 August | The Zutons · SAS Band · The Proclaimers | Edward II · Le Vent du Nord · The Spooky Men's Chorale | ||
| 2010 | Wickham | 5 August – 8 August | Eliza Carthy · Shooglenifty · Kid Creole and the Coconuts · Show Of Hands | The Undertones · Peatbog Faeries · The Mighty Zulu Nation | |
| 2011 | 4 August – 7 August | Jools Holland · Richard Thompson · Bellowhead · The Men They Couldn't Hang | Toyah · Kathryn Tickell · Tony Benn | ||
| 2012 | 2 August – 5 August | The Proclaimers · Bellowhead · Levellers | KT Tunstall · The Wurzels · Blair Dunlop | ||
| 2013 | 1 August – 4 August | Dexys · The Waterboys · Seth Lakeman · The Blockheads | Wilko Johnson · 10cc · Moulettes · The South · Public Service Broadcasting | ||
| 2014 | 14 August – 17 August | James Blunt · Lightning Seeds · Steve Earle · Bellowhead | Hugh Cornwell · Oysterband · Dreadzone · The Poozies | ||
| 2015 | 6 August – 9 August | Wilko Johnson · Billy Bragg · The Proclaimers · 10cc | Andy Fairweather-Low · Martin Carthy · Dhol Foundation · Tom Robinson | ||
| 2016 | 4 August – 7 August | Tony Hadley · The Stranglers · SAS Band · Lindisfarne | Trevor Horn · Gretchen Peters · Steeleye Span · Hayseed Dixie · Chas & Dave | ||
| 2017 | 3 August – 6 August | 10cc · Show of Hands · Levellers · Peatbog Faeries | KT Tunstall · John Otway · Seth Lakeman · Eliza Carthy | Jonathan Pie · Zoe Lyons · James Veitch · Tom Deacon · Raymond & Mr Timpkins | |
| 2018 | 2 August – 5 August | Steve Harley · Squeeze · Jon Boden & The Remnant Kings | Kate Rusby · The Undertones · John Illsley · Roger Chapman · Richard Thompson · Ferocious Dog | Paul McCaffrey · Jonathan Pie · Tanyalee Davis · Marlon Davis | |
| 2019 | 1 August – 4 August | Judy Collins · Level 42 · Frank Turner · Gilbert O'Sullivan | Kiefer Sutherland · Graham Nash · Alabama 3 · Ralph McTell · The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican | Fin Taylor · Alistair Barrie · Ninia Benjamin · Dave Johns · Ben Norris · Clinton Baptiste | |
| 2020 | 6 August – 9 August | Postponed due to COVID Pandemic | |||
| 2021 | 5 August – 8 August | SAS Band · Show Of Hands · Van Morrison · Fairport Convention | Deacon Blue · Eddi Reader · Edward II · Moya Brennan · Nick Lowe · The Dhol Foundation · Capercaillie | Keith Farnan · Sally-Anne Hayward · Steve Bugeja · Raymond & Mr Timpkins · Paul Sinha · Rich Wilson | |
| 2022 | 4 August – 7 August | Saw Doctors · The Waterboys · Levellers · 10cc · Gilbert O'Sullivan | Martha Wainwright · Oysterband · Rumer · The Sharon Shannon Trio · Los Pacaminos · The Undertones | Nathan Caton · Mike Cox · James Dowdeswell · Fiona Ridgewell · Tom Deacon · Matt Bragg · Scott Bennett · Eshaan Akbar | |
| 2023 | 3 August – 6 August | Show Of Hands · The Proclaimers · Saw Doctors · Midge Ure | The South · Mary Black · Barbara Dickson · The Zombies · Afro Celt Sound System | Mike Cox · Paul McCaffrey · Joe Wells · Dan Evans · Karen Bayley · Paul Cox · Raymond & Mr Timpkins |
Helping Charities
Wickham Festival also supports important causes. It works with Two Saints. This charity helps young people who are homeless. The festival has raised thousands of pounds for them.
In 2016, the festival partnered with The League Against Cruel Sports. This group works to stop cruelty to animals. They had a special tent at the festival. Visitors could learn about their work there.
In 2021, a guitar signed by artists was raffled. This raised money for George's Rockstars. This charity uses music to help people. Over £1,300 was raised for them.
