LeeFest
| LeeFest | |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | South London |
| Years active | 2006 - present |
| Founded by | Lee Denny |
| Website | |
| www.leefest.org.uk | |
LeeFest is a non-profit music festival that takes place each Summer in Bromley, South London. The festival began in founder Lee Denny's garden when his parents went away on holiday in 2006. Despite the festival's small scale in its first two years, LeeFest grew into a two-day event with the capacity for 2,000 attendees. The capacity of the event now reaches the mark of 3,500+ with the previous year of 2012 reaching approximately 3,783 people. Around 200 volunteers help out during the festival to get the festival site built and the stages for the bands created.
The Festival has won many awards and has been acknowledged with a nomination in the European Festival Awards and in AIM Independent Music Awards and the UK Festival Awards
LeeFest is marking its 8th year by running the event for 3 days in July 2013.
Lee Denny LeeFest Founder was awarded Spirit of London Awards ‘Achievement in The Arts in December 2012, he was also placed in The TimeOut UK 2012: 100 Culture List in the UK's Time Out Magazine, quoting him as One of the inspiring 100 people in the UK who have made others lives better
History
2006
LeeFest began in 2006 with seven bands invited. The festival took place in teenager Lee Denny's back garden on 31 August in Beckenham, London.[1]
2007-2009
The following year LeeFest returned to Lee's garden with two stages (one canopy stage and one acoustic tent). 300 people attended and more than 10 bands and artists played. By 2008 the event had outgrown the garden and moved to fields near Langley Park School for Boys. This site was again used to host the event on 15 August 2009, with over 1,000 people present. In 2009 LeeFest became a charity event, with proceeds going to Kids Company.
2010
LeeFest 2010 took place on 14 and 15 August at a new venue, Highams Hill Farm. The two-day event drew up to 2,000 people, including 700 camping tickets. The line-up included The Futureheads, Hot Club De Paris, Jakwob, Does it Offend You, Yeah?, The King Blues, Johnny Foreigner, Starsmith, The Loose Cannons, and Fenech Soler.[2]
2011
Despite the nearby rioting in Croydon and South London, the festival took place on 12 and 13 August in 2011 at Highams Hill Farm. Taking place for the first time across two entire days and nights, the festival expanded to a larger line-up that included British Sea Power, Young Knives, Fenech Soler, DJ Fresh, David's Lyre, and The Whip.
2012
The festival took place this time in 29 and 30 June at Highams Hill Farm in 2012. The festival weekend camping sold super early bird tickets for the first time and also expanded the festival goers family camping area and the general campsite, now with a capacity of up to 4,000 attending over the weekend. With a bigger line up than before, the festival now had Main Stage, Collin Denny Lava Lounge (Alternative Tent), The Temple Of Boom (Dance Tent), ClockTower, WonderLand Stage and Container Venue. LeeFest announced full line-up of artists including the likes of; Mystery Jets and GhostPoet plus many more music artists and DJ's.
2013
For the first time the festival ran across three days, starting on Friday 12 July and finishing on Sunday 14 July. Taking place at the same venue as the past three years, LeeFest 2013 attracted over 2000 people to Highams Hill Farm. Acts included Noisettes, Delphic, London Grammar, Public Service Broadcasting, The Other Tribe, King Charles, Clean Bandit, The Skints, Man Like Me, Stanton Warriors, Dark Sky, Lulu James and many more. The festival continued to be organised and run by volunteers, remaining not-for-profit. [3]
Line-ups
- 2006
Isobel, Jamo at the Disco!, Kyrill, BLT, Femme Fatale, Matt Squared, Fin & Charlie
- 2007
Dot By Miro, Jade Fox, Isobel, Atomic Face, Civilian, Park Bench Politics, Martyn Snow Band, BLT, Charlie Allen, Rich Legate, Adam Santer, Andrew Gummer
- 2008
The Skints, Linchpin, DJ Hatsey, One Way To Kanasas, Snish, Catfish Blue, SouthBound, The Over Dramatics, Mr Newells Breakfast Club, Koz + MC Mekkar, Death To Disco, Jonny Abraham, Acoustic Charlie
- 2009
The Holloways, Saving Aimee, The Xcerts, Sam Isaac, A1 Bassline, Kid id, Tomb Crew, Lights Go Blue, Luke Leighfield, The Skints, Starsmith, Marcel Legane, Mike Brown Band, Adelaide, Local Heroes, Astro Physics, Charles Anonymous, Death To Disco, Kojack, Richard Maddy, Silent Disguise, Mesa
- 2010
The Futureheads, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Jakwob, The King Blues, Fenech Soler, Johnny Foreigner, Hot Club De Paris, Marcel Legane, King Charles, Starsmith, The Loose Cannons, DJ Hatesy, Mean Poppa Lean, They Came From Japan, Richard Maddy, Chris Cape, Professor Penguin, Trashcan DJs, Bordeauxxx, Keston Cobblers Club
- 2011
Fenech Soler, Young Knives, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly., Little Comets, King Charles, Man Like Me, To Kill A King, David's Lyre, Dutch Uncles, Ellen and the Escapades, British Sea Power, DJ Fresh, The Whip
- 2012
Mystery Jets, GhostPoet, Jakwob, Slow Club, DJ Friction, DJ Marcus Nasty, Summer Camp, Casiokids, Bastille, Man Like Me, The Skints, We Were Evergreen, Dismantle, Tom Williams & The Boat, Urban Nerds, Sound of Guns, FOE, BIGkids, Broken Hands, Fever Fever, Seye, Raf Daddy (The 2 Bears), Bwani Junction, Santiago Street Machine, DJ Rattus Rattus, Linguistics, By The Rivers, Youth Imperial, Sai, Hatesy, Jesse James, Colour Clouds, Sea Stacks, To Kill A King, The Brownies, Josh Beech & The Johns, Hella Better Dancer, Matt Emery, Jamie Parisio, Tate Toussant, Lion, Paul Cook, Red Lapels, Grand Pocket Orchestra, Van Susans, ill Murray and more.
Awards (Nominations & Won)
2012
- AIM Independent Music Award Winner - Best Independent Festival (2012)
- UK Festival Awards 2012 - Finalist Nominee - Best Festival Line Up (2012)
2009
- UK Festival Awards 2009 - Best Grassroots Festival (2009)
- UK Festival Awards 2009 - Finalist Nominee - Best Small Festival (2009)
- UK Festival Awards 2009 - Finalist Nominee - Best Festival Toilets (2009)
2006
The Festival has also been acknowledged with a nomination in the European Festival Awards
Press
In the build-up to the fourth LeeFest on 15 August 2009 the festival received national press coverage including features on BBC Radio 1, BBC 6music, London Tonight, and the Kent on Saturday.
In October 2009 the festival won the Best Grassroots Festival Award at the UK Festival Awards.[4] LeeFest was also nominated for Best Small Festival and Best Toilets. The Festival has also been acknowledged with a nomination in the European Festival Awards.[5]
In May 2010 the Guardian included LeeFest in a round-up of ten of the best small UK festivals. The article championed the festival's "unpretentious party vibe" and charitable nature.[6]
In 2012 LeeFest and XFm collaborated to launch the festival's VIPee luxury loo competition.