We did 42,000 steps on Saturday alone at Big Feastival – which was mainly Faithless‘ fault, but also featured an unhealthy addiction to the silent disco, new Outpost dance tent, and a well worn path to the cider stand.
Still limping days later, every single step was worth it. What a weekend! The sun shone, the music played and 25,000 people laughed, danced, sang and ate, as we forgot about life for a while.
perhaps Alex James said it best as he left the stage on Sunday night: “Well that was the most fun I’ve ever had!”
Weekend Camping was totally sold out, unsurprisingly considering the line-up, punters flocking from all over the country, and further afield, to hang out on Alex James’ Kingham Farm for the Bank Holiday weekend and let their hair down. And boy did we do it in style!
While providing all the larks, acts, names and moves, Big Feastival remains a family festival, kids and teens of all ages frolicking about, the fun-fuelled children’s events rolling out continually from rides to cooking classes, farmyard circus, dragon training, comedy, beatbox, story-telling, science, singing and workshops.
Families could also just set up in front of the main stage and stay put for the day, surrounded by some mouth-watering global food stalls and an endless array of entertainment.
The Cheese Hub catered for the ravers, as the likes of Alex James, Edith Bowman, Woody Cook, Seb Fontaine, Inbetweeners’ James Buckley, regular Simon Pegg and Truck favourites Fish56Octagon kept the crowds pumping throughout the weekend, the Outpost transforming into another late night DJ-centric hub.
Calum Bowie, the Scottish singer-songwriter, attracting a growing crowd, people racing from all over the festival ground to witness his searing vocals
We clocked in early on Friday, desperate to cash in on the hype around young Calum Bowie, the Scottish singer-songwriter attracting a growing crowd, people racing from all over the festival ground to witness his searing vocals. Scouting For Girls and Mabel were also massive attractions, a Barrioke session bridging the gap before Nelly Furtado, and then some classic tunes in the silent disco tent, where rival DJs battle it out for supremacy.
Saturday brought a stunning set from Tom Walker – that man can sing, the emotion palpable in the crowd, already warmed up by the hilarious antics of the infamous Cuban Brothers whose crowd surfing and interactive performance dialled it right up.
the hilarious antics of the infamous Cuban Brothers dialled it right up
Faithless were headlining and there wasn’t a spare inch in the huge crowd which assembled for a blast of house nostalgia as Maxi Jazz’s notorious lyrics and voice boomed out over the Kingham farm, and the crowd went berserk.
Sunday had to be gentler; the calves were aching, the head throbbing, the liver protesting, so we paraded through the numerous zones – especially the foodie fields where people ate, cooked, signed books, planted herbs, concocted cocktails, tasted, drank and dined with gusto.
Elsewhere your could learn circus tricks, BBQ, relax in the spa, enjoy the aerial displays, rides, or just enjoy the fantastic, lurid, and often brilliantly inappropriate outfits.
from Pulp and Radiohead to Oasis and The Verve, the hits kept on coming
Come Sunday night we were ready – Alex James playing at his own festival for the first time, everyone curious about how the world premiere of his Britpop Classical would pan out. The three-day-in weary crowd immediately perked up as he nonchalantly strolled on stage and introduced the London Concert Orchestra, 90s hits rolling out in a wonderful cacophony of nostalgia, pride and videos. What an era.
But while it would have been easy to overload it with Blur classics, all the bands got their moment in the sun – from Pulp and Radiohead to Oasis and The Verve, Reef, Republica and Travis there in person, Park Life performed by actor Phil Daniels, the hits kept on coming, the crowds loving every second as their favourites pounded out against backdrops of 90s faces and trends, concluding with a huge Oasis singalong and fireworks.
News that Alex James is touring Britpop Classical next year doesn’t come as a surprise, but keep an eye out for tickets because it is absolutely brilliant.
In the meantime Big Feastival will be back in all its glory next summer with more surprises. But perhaps Alex James said it best as he left the stage on Sunday night: “Well that was the most fun I’ve ever had!” See you there in 2026.
Big Feastival will run from August 28-30, 2026 and Early Bird tickets are released today (Thursday August 28) at 10am. https://bigfeastival.com
