Wickham Festival

Wickham Festival
Status	Active
Genre	folk, world, traditional, rock, pop
Location(s)	Wickham, Hampshire
Country	United Kingdom
Years active	2003-2005 Eastleigh Music festival 2006 - Present Wickham Festival
Next event	August 4, 2016 (2016-08-04) – August 7, 2016 (2016-08-07)
Participants	See Lineups
Capacity	7,000
Website
wickhamfestival.co.uk

Wickham Festival (previously known as Eastleigh Music Festival,^[1] sometimes referred to as Wickham Festival-Incorporating Stokes Bay Festival) is a 4-day music event, that takes place in the village of Wickham, Hampshire. Listed by The Guardian as a top 'Family Friendly Boutique Festival',^[2] Wickham hosts live music across three stages, as well as food stalls, craft stalls, real ale and cider bars and childen's entertainers.^[3] The 2015 Wickham Festival was named Best Festival (under cap. 15,000) at the Live UK Music Business Awards.^[4]

Although the history of the festival can be traced to the 2003 Eastleigh Festival, The first Wickham Festival was held from 3–6 August 2006 in and around the village community centre, with a line-up rooted in folk and traditional music.^[5] Since then the festival has expanded (moving to its current site in 2013) to become a venue for both well established artists and those just breaking through, across many musical genres, and has previously hosted talks from the likes of Tony Benn.^[6] Recent years have seen high profile performances from rock and pop artists, including James Blunt,^[7][8] Wilko Johnson^[9] and Lightning Seeds.^[10] The festival has not lost touch with its roots, continuing to promote folk music,^[11] world music^[12] and such festival stalwarts as Richard Thompson,^[13] Bellowhead and Steve Earle.^[14] Wickham Festival has also introduced British audiences to international musicians, including Carlos Núñez Muñoz,^[15] The Spooky Men's Chorale^[16] and Le Vent du Nord.^[17]

History

The origins of Wickham Festival can be found in the original Gosport Festival of the early 1990s, and the Eastleigh Music Festival. Both these events were organised by Peter Chegwyn:

The history of Eastleigh’s Music Festival can be traced back to 2002 with the involvement of Keith House, Eastleigh’s council leader with his fellow Liberal Democrat and county council colleague Peter Chegwyn who was also a music promoter. Mr Chegwyn had been organising a highly successful music festival in Gosport which had featured artistes like the international blues superstar and guitar legend B.B King. The intention was to try and replicate the success in Eastleigh..^[18]

Mr Chegwyn also organised the popular Gosport & Fareham Easter Folk Festival, which ran from 2001-2011,^[19][20] before it was incorporated into Wickham Festival in 2012.^[21]

Location(s)

Previous Locations

Since the first Eastleigh Music Festival in 2003, the site changed a number of times before settling in its current location.

Eastleigh

Between 2003 and 2005, the festival took place at Eastleigh Park, Eastleigh. The Eastleigh Music Festival was a six day event featuring live music and entertainment, with free lunchtime world music concerts, free family entertainment every afternoon and ticketed evening concerts.^[22]

Stokes Bay

The festival moved to Wickham in 2006, however due to issues with Winchester Council,^[23][24] it was relocated for 2008 and 2009. For these two years, Wickham was incorporated in to the Stokes Bay Festival at Stokes Bay, Gosport. The festival returned to Wickham in 2010.^[25]

Wickham

Chesapeake Mill.

Wickham is a village located in Hampshire, just north of Fareham. The historic village square is home to a number of bars, restaurants, boutique shops and hotels. Wickham is also home to the historic Chesapeake Mill, built from the timbers of the HMS Chesapeake.

Apart from 08/09, the festival has taken place in Wickham since 2006. The first Wickham Festival included performances from Daby Blade from Senegal, Spiers and Boden, Los Pacaminos, Richard Thompson, Shooglenifty, Sparks, Oysterband, Fiddlers' Bid, Osibisa, Flook, Steeleye Span and The Larry Love Showband. These shows primarily took place in and around the Village community centre.

In the years since 2006, the festival site has moved slightly to the fields either side of Blind Lane, north of the village square. The festival settled on its current site in 2013, where it has expanded to include 3 music stages, a dance stage, food and craft fayres and real ale and cider bars. The festival also features family entertainment, including a Digital Funfair and the Groovy Movie Solar Powered Picture House. Camping facilities have also grown to include glamping fields and spaces for motorhomes.^[26]

Present Day

The Bowman Ales 2nd Stage at Wickham Festival 2015

2015

The dates for the 2015 festival were 6–9 August. The festival saw the introduction of an open mic stage and a late night Festival Club,^[27] as well as other improved facilities.^[3]

Artists appearing at the festival included: Seth Lakeman, Eliza Carthy Big Band, 10cc, The Proclaimers, Moulettes, Kathryn Tickell & The Side, Show of Hands, Edward II, Martin Carthy, Huw Williams & Maartin Allcock, Wilko Johnson, Andy Fairweather-Low, Tom Robinson,^[28] De Temps Antan, The Spooky Men's Chorale, Askew Sisters, Insomnia, Caravan of Thieves, Bemis, Billy Bragg, plus The South, Lisbee Stainton, Charlie Cunningham, The Gren Bartley Band, Luka Bloom, Tankus the Henge, The Hut People, Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston, Les Barker and Roy Bailey.^[29][30][31] The main stages were known as the 'All Time Grates Main Stage' and the 'Bowman Ales Stage 2'.^[32] Gosport based Quay West Studios provided support in managing the second and third stages.^[33]

2015 proved to be Wickham's most successful year, with over 25,000 people attending over the weekend. Festival organiser Peter Chegwyn stated: This festival has really put Wickham on the map. Now we are becoming well known we have top acts asking to play here rather than us chasing them, with Tom Robinson adding: It has been a fantastic festival and I am delighted for Peter Chegwyn who is truly a legend in this area. He is a one-off and people are very lucky to have him. The atmosphere here is wonderful and the reaction from the fans was amazing. I was quite moved by it.^[34]

Wickham Festival was awarded the 'Best Festival (cap under 15,000)' at the 2015 Live Music Awards.^[35]

2016

The 2016 Wickham festival is set to take place from the 4th-7th of August. The first acts announced for 2016 were Lynched, a traditional Irish folk group from Dublin, Skerryvore, Keston Cobblers Club and The Red Hot Chilli Pipers. The first headliner announced was Trevor Horn, who will be bringing his all-star band including Lol Creme (ex-10cc) and guest vocalists.^[36]

Charity

Wickham Festival works closely with Two Saints,^[37] a Fareham-based charity that supports homeless and vulnerable young people across south Hampshire.^[38] Over £4,000 was raised for them over the 2014 festival weekend,^[39][40] with this figure being topped in 2015, with a total of £5,000 being raised.

Lineups

Billy Bragg (seen here performing at South by Southwest) made his first Wickham appearance in 2015

Levellers have played at all three festival sites

James Blunt drew one of the biggest crowds to Wickham Festival in 2014

^[41][42]

References

External links

• Wickham Festival Official Website
• Wickham Festival Twitter
• Wickham Festival Facebook
• Wickham Festival Interviews
• Wickham Festival Podcast on iTunes