Boomtown (festival)
Boomtown Fair | |
---|---|
Genre | Music & Theatre Production |
Frequency | Annually |
Location(s) | Matterley Estate, Alresford Road, near Winchester, Hampshire, England. |
Coordinates | 51°03′05″N 01°14′44″W / 51.05139°N 1.24556°W |
Years active | 15 years |
Inaugurated | 7 August 2009 |
Founders |
|
Most recent | 7 August 2024 | – 11 August 2024
Next event | 6 August 2025 | – 10 August 2025
Capacity | 66,000 (2024) |
Organised by | Boomtown Festival UK Ltd. |
Website | www |
Boomtown (also known as Boomtown Fair) is a British music festival held annually on the Matterley Estate in South Downs National Park, near Winchester, Hampshire. It was first held in 2009 and has been held at its current site since 2011, and runs during the second week of August each year. The event features a diverse lineup of live bands, electronic music DJs, MCs, speakers, and theatrical performers across many genres.
Each yearly event, known as a chapter, expands on the story line from the previous year, told through the set design, immersive theatre performances, and many forms of alternate reality games. The 1,250 acre festival site is split into 8 fictional districts, each with a distinct design and identity, and housing more than 50 hidden stages run by independent artists, collectives, and record labels, alongside 12 main stages run by Boomtown. The large scale of the build and its infrastructure requires six weeks of construction, and a month of disassembly.[1]
The event is centred around the progressive ideas of environmentalism and social equality, conveyed through the narrative, as well as many performances by speakers and activists, including the RMT, Palestine Action, Extinction Rebellion, and author Rob Hopkins in previous years.
The festival is run by Boomtown Festival UK Limited, partially owned by Live Nation UK (18%),[2] and originally founded by Chris Rutherford and Luke 'Lak' Mitchell, both from Bristol.[3] Since 2020, the event has a licensed capacity of 76,999 from Winchester City Council, but is currently still limited to 66,000 pending permission from the South Downs National Park Authority.[4]
History
[edit]2000s
[edit]Boomtown Fair was created when Rutherford and Mitchell, who had grown up in the festival scene,[3][1] decided that music festivals lacked atmosphere, and that many genres were being overlooked.[5] The first chapter, Boomtown Begins, took place from 7-9 August 2009 and was held at the Speech House Hotel, Coleford, Gloucestershire. The second event saw the festival move to the Stowe Landscape Gardens in Buckingham, Buckinghamshire and the third festival was relocated to the Matterley Estate in Winchester, where it has remained.
2010s
[edit]Between 2012 and 2014, The Arcadia Spider featured as a main stage, before being replaced by the custom Banghai Palace in 2015.[6] The 2016 fair saw further expansion with Sector 6 in the Temple Valley area, introduced as a way to even the spread of bass-heavy music across the site.[1]
In 2018, festival organisers hoped to increase the capacity of the festival to 80,000, but the application was rejected. Instead they were allowed to open a day early, but only if attendees arrived using 'sustainable transport', in coaches, shuttle bus or cars with more than three people.[7]
The 2019 fair introduced the new Area 404 district in place of Sector 6 providing the festivals home for techno and acid house music. The event was focused around the "Leave No Trace" mantra. Encouraging attendees to take their rubbish and camping equipment with them as they leave, and banning single-use plastics from all of the on-side stalls. As a result of this push, the festival saw a 50% reduction in tents and equipment left behind.[8]
2020s
[edit]COVID-19 Pandemic
[edit]The 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] After an announcement from Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 25 February 2021 announcing the roadmap for the removal of restrictions in England, public confidence in the 2021 festival season increased.[10] Following this news, many festivals in the UK saw a huge increase in ticket sales, with the organizers of the Reading and Leeds festivals stating they were 'very confident' the summer's events would go ahead.[11][12] By Thursday 25 February, all remaining Boomtown tickets had sold out; 48,000 in total.[13][14]
However, on 20 April 2021, Boomtown announced that it would be cancelled for the second year in a row. Organisers cited the lack of a government insurance scheme to cover COVID-19-related cancellations of music festivals, stating that "for an independent event as large and complex as Boomtown, this means a huge gamble into an eight-figure sum to lose if we were to venture much further forward, and then not be able to go ahead due to COVID."[15] The organisers planned to hold a smaller event known as Boom Village, but was cancelled due to safety concerns over rising numbers of new COVID-19 cases.[16]
As a result of cancellations from the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival corporation's total equity had dropped from more than £2.1 million in October 2019 to just £151,879 in October 2021.[17]
Post-COVID
[edit]The festival returned in 2022 with a smaller layout, with a decreased number of districts and stages, from 12 main stages (previously 25) and 8 districts (down from 14). The majority of entertainment was moved into the bowl, with the campsites onto the flat land that surrounds the bowl. Two new main stages were introduced with all other main stages not returning: Origin as the main dance stage, and Grand Central as the main live music stage.[18]
The festival also adopted a new lineup policy whereby most performers were announced only days before the event, this coincided with a drop of typical headliner bookings. On 17 August 2022, Boomtown co-founders Luke Mitchell and Christopher Rutherford released a statement confirming that the festival, previously the largest independent in the UK, had sold a 45% stake including 18% to Live Nation UK, citing citing increasing financial pressure post-COVID.[19]
On 29 June 2023, for the 15th anniversary of the festival, Boomtown announced The Prodigy would be headlining the fair on Sunday, the first headline announcement since the change in policy.[20] The Friday during the festival, the band cancelled all upcoming performances after vocalist Maxim suffered a back injury.[21] The Prodigy was replaced by Chase and Status.
On 6 December 2024, Boomtown launched the 2025 event, including announcing the first re-expansion outside of the bowl, with Old Town moving to Hilltop, and the introduction of two new main dance stages - The Lions Gate (replacing Origin), and Hydro for techno and house music. The fair also returned to lineup announcements in advance for the first time in five years, with a first wave announcement.[22]
Layout
[edit]The 1,250 acre greenfield festival site is split into a few main areas:[23]
- the Downtown area contained within Cheesefoot Head;
- the Temple Valley valley which splits the spite diagonally;
- and the Hilltop area which extends across the crest of the hill that is the mid-ground between these two areas – it is also the geographical centre of the site.
The main entertainment is contained within the Downtown and Hilltop areas with attendees taking either Hippie Highway (a large, steep hill) or The Stairs (a temporary staircase structure) to travel between the two.
Each of the 8 districts has a distinct identity, with unique set design and music genres on show. Each district has at least one main stage, alongside small and medium size venues integrated into the street sets.[24] The festival contains 12 main stages and 50 additional hidden venues.[25]
The largest main stages (currently Grand Central, Lions Gate, and Hydro) differ from the others as they are designed to accommodate crowds in the tens of thousands, with vast stage sets at the centre with bars, toilets, and accessible viewing platforms around the area.
A number of stages feature within the natural features of the sites. The 'forest party' stages are set within the woods under tree canopies, with sand flooring and large permanent wooden structures. The Lions Den stage was also set within a natural amphitheatre, but is currently unused.
Almost all of the site accessible to the public that is not part of the entertainment area is used for camping, with no barriers or further security between camping areas and stages. There are two campsite 'villages' in the largest camps with large communal fire pits alongside traditional festival and spiritual healing activities.
The two main entrances are on the far east and west sides of the site for those travelling by car and public transport respectively. On the south side of the site is the entrance for camper vans along with the camper van field. The north side and north-east corner of the site is primarily out of bounds staff and crew areas.
Location
[edit]The festival takes place in South East England on the Matterley Estate in Hampshire on the grounds of the South Downs National Park, 3 miles from Winchester. The grounds are situated between the A31 and A272.[26]
The grounds have been the home of a number of music festivals and concerts over the years, including Creamfields in its inaugural year of 1998, Homelands from 1999 till 2005 and Glade Festival in 2009. Because of this long history with a number of iconic events, many consider the grounds to be firmly entrenched in the roots of many notable acts and genres, especially with regards to dance music, underground dance music and other electronic music.[27]
The fair is situated at grid reference SU 52919 28297.
Elsewhere on-site, the motocross track within the Matterley Basin has in the past held the British round of the World Championship, as well as the Motocross of Nations.[28] The site has also hosted the Tough Mudder endurance test series.[29]
Line-ups
[edit]Chapter | Dates | Notable Acts | Ticket price |
---|---|---|---|
Ch 1. Boomtown Begins | 7–9 August 2009 | £45[30] | |
Ch 2. External Forces | 13–15 August 2010 | £58[31] | |
Ch 3. The Disappearance of Boom | 11–14 August 2011 | Gogol Bordello, DJ Zinc and Ms. Dynamite[32] | £93[33] |
Ch 4. An Alien Presence | 9–12 August 2012 | Reel Big Fish, Caravan Palace and Shy FX[32] | £63[34] |
Ch 5. Declaration of Democracy | 8–11 August 2013 | £149[35] | |
Ch 6. The Loopholes of Time | 7–10 August 2014 | The Cat Empire, General Levy and Chas & Dave[32] | £149[36] |
Ch 7. The Palace Has Risen | 13–16 August 2015 | Protoje, Noisia and Mr. Scruff[37] | £120[38] |
Ch 8. The Revolution Starts Now | 11–14 August 2016 | Madness and Damian Marley[32] | £135[39] |
Ch 9. Behind The Mask | 10–13 August 2017 | The Specials, M.I.A. and Cypress Hill[40] | £195[41] |
Ch 10. The Machine Cannot Be Stopped | 8–12 August 2018 | Gorillaz, Die Antwoord and Limp Bizkit[42] | £246[43] |
Ch 11. A Radical City | 7–11 August 2019 | Lauryn Hill, Prophets of Rage, The Streets, Chronixx, Chase & Status and Groove Armada | £244[44] |
Ch 12. New Beginnings (Cancelled) | 12–16 August 2020 | Wu-Tang Clan, Underworld, Kelis and Pendulum Trinity[45] | £249[46] |
Chapter One: The Gathering | 10-14 August 2022 | Four Tet, Noisia, Kool and the Gang, Sherelle, Squarepusher, De La Soul and Koffee[47] | £199[48] |
Chapter Two: The Twin Trail | 9-13 August 2023 | The Prodigy (canceled, replaced by Chase & Status), Cypress Hill, Sister Sledge, Sub Focus, Leftfield, Beenie Man and Confidence Man[49] | £250[50] |
Chapter Three: Revolution of Imagination | 7-11 August 2024 | Pendulum (DJ set), Damian Marley, DJ EZ, Sherelle, Soft Play, Ross from Friends, I. Jordan, High Contrast and David Rodigan[51] | £310[52] |
Chapter Four: Power of Now | 6-10 August 2025 | Sean Paul, Sex Pistols, Overmono, Azealia Banks, Nia Archives, Honey Dijon, Maribou State[53] (more TBC) | £320[54] |
Charitable activities
[edit]Donations to various charities are made each year from the festival's profits;[55] in 2015 these were the Energy Revolution Initiative, Winchester Youth Counselling and Trinity Winchester. Tickets are donated to charity for raffles and competitions, and the festival works with Oxfam, MyCauseUK and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance who provide stewards. The festival also produces a fundraising CD at Christmas.[56] Since 2014, the festival have provided free children's arts & craft workshops at a pop-up event in nearby Winchester.[57]
For the 2019 event, Boomtown partnered with TreeSisters, an organization focusing on reforestation with women, to plant one tree for every ticket bought (48,000). After the event, it was announced that the partnership planted 71,725 trees.[58]
Incidents and deaths
[edit]During the 2011 festival, Deborah Jeffery, 45 from Winchester suffered a fatal heart attack after taking ecstasy.[59]
In 2013, Ellie Rowe, 18 from Glastonbury, Somerset, died after consuming alcohol and Ketamine. The incident occurred the same day Ketamine was reclassified from a class C to class B drug in the UK.[60] In the years following the tragedy, Wendy Teasdill, Ellie's mother, has become an advocate for on-site drug testing, saying the facilities may have saved her life.[61]
The following year, Lisa Williamson, 31, from Hereford, was found hanged in a campsite toilet after using drugs.[62]
In 2016, Olivia Christopher, 18, from Chesham, Buckinghamshire, was discovered dead in her tent after a suspected drug overdose. It is believed she had consumed a cocktail of cocaine, Ketamine, LSD and MDMA and alcohol. The police seized £79,000 of drugs at the festival, with an additional £55,000 worth being placed in amnesty bins at the gates.[63] The same year, a discarded cigarette started a fire which destroyed more than 80 cars.[64]
In the weeks leading up to the 2017 event, the construction of the city was hampered by bad weather, which contributed to delays at the gates, with some guests queuing for up to 10 hours to enter the site. The rest of the event proceeded without incident.[65]
In 2019, the festival saw very high winds, causing widespread damage to tents in all camping areas, as a result of fencing barriers blown onto the grounds. In addition, the Relic main-stage stage was closed during a performance by Shy FX after a piece of debris from the stage was blown onto the crowd. All subsequent acts that day were moved to the Lion's Den stage. The Relic stage re-opened the next day. No injuries were reported.[66]
In 2024, man in his 20s died after a "medical incident" at the festival on the evening of Saturday 10 August.[67]
Awards and nominations
[edit]DJ Magazine's top 50 Festivals
[edit]Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | World's Best Festival | Boomtown Fair | 23rd | [68] |
2022 | 24th | [69] |
Drum & Bass Awards
[edit]Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Best Festival | Boomtown Fair | 2 | [70] |
2018 | Best Event 2017 | 3 | [71] | |
Best Festival | 1 | |||
2019 | Best Festival | 2 | [72] | |
2020 | Best Event 2019 | 1 | [73] | |
Best Festival | 2 | |||
2022 | Best Festival | 1 | [74] |
A Greener Festival
[edit]Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | A Greener Festival | Boomtown Fair | Commended | [75] |
2020 | Commended |
UK Festival Awards
[edit]Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Best Festival Production | Boomtown Fair | Nominated | [76] |
2019 | Best Festival Production | Nominated | [77] | |
The Greener Festival Award | Nominated | |||
2022 | Best Festival Production | Winner | [78] | |
2023 | Best Festival Production | Winner | [79] | |
Transport Impact Innovators Award | Winner |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Taylor, Kat (23 February 2017). "Interview with Boomtown co-founder Lak Mitchell". Festivalmag. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Live Nation has acquired a stake in Boomtown, according to new documents". Mixmag. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ a b "BOOMTOWN FESTIVAL UK LIMITED Company number 07871423". Companies House. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ Warrenger, Sam (31 July 2019). "Boomtown capacity increase to 76,999 approved by council". TheFestivals. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
- ^ "People profile: Lak Mitchell". Leisure Management. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- ^ "BoomTown Fair to replace Arcadia with 'biggest ever' project". Access All Areas. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
- ^ "Road rules set for festival's extra day". BBC News. 18 May 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Green Mission". boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "Boomtown Update 2020". Boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ "Lockdown: Boris Johnson unveils plan to end England restrictions by 21 June". BBC News. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- ^ "Festivals selling out after map to end England's lockdown announced". The Guardian. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- ^ "Reading and Leeds boss 'very confident' festivals will happen". BBC News. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- ^ "We are SOLD OUT!!". boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- ^ "World at One - 01/03/2021 - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ "Boomtown festival cancelled amid Covid insurance row". BBC Hampshire. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ "Covid: Boom Village festival cancelled amid rising cases". BBC News. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ "Total exemption full accounts made up to 31 October 2021". Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Chapter One has landed!". Boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^ "CompaniesHouse.gov.uk". Companies House. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ Ramage, Jack (30 June 2023). "The Prodigy confirmed for Boomtown 2023 Sunday guest set". DJ Mag. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ Andrews, Charlotte (10 August 2023). "The Prodigy pull out of Boomtown Fair festival". BBC News. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ Cunningham, Ed (6 December 2024). "Boomtown has revealed its eclectic first wave of artists for 2025". Time Out United Kingdom. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Boomtown CH 11 map is here!". Boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- ^ "Boomtown's new Metropolis area". Mixmag. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- ^ "Stages & Venues". Boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "Travel". Boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- ^ "Previous events". The Matterley Bowl. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- ^ "The Matterley Basin". The Matterley Estate. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "The Matterley Estate". The Matterley Estate. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
The official website for Matterley Estate, home of the Matterley Bowl and hosts of Boomtown Festival, Tough Mudder and Juniper Leisure.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Boomtown Begins". Boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "BoomTown Fair 2010". eFestivals. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Boomtown 2014 announce first acts! – Psychedelic Press". Psychedelic Press. 6 February 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "The Disappearance of Boom". Boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "An Alien Presence". Boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "Declaration of Democracy". Boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "The Loopholes of Time". Boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "Interview; why Boomtown festival 2015 will rock – Liftshare Blog". Liftshare Blog. May 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "The Palace Has Risen". Boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "The Revolution Starts Now". Boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "Festivalgoers left queuing for six hours". BBC News. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Boomtown Fair 2017". eFestivals. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- ^ "Boomtown Festival Live Artists Poster – NextFest". NextFest. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "Boomtown Fair 2018". eFestivals. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- ^ "Boomtown Fair 2019". eFestivals. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- ^ "Boomtown 2020 Line up and rumours – Boomtown Source". Boomtown Source. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "Boomtown Fair 2020". eFestivals. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- ^ "Boomtown 2022 releases full line-up with Dan Shake, SHERELLE and Ewan McVicar". Mixmag. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ "Boomtown tickets reduced in price for 2021 🎉". Boomtownfair.co.uk. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^ "Boomtown 2023: The Prodigy, Cypress Hill and more announced for The…". Kerrang!. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ "BoomTown Festival 2023". eFestivals. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ Holliday, Isabella (24 July 2024). "LINE UP: Boomtown 2024 line up revealed with over 450 artists heading to Winchester". Hampshire Chronicle. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ "BoomTown Festival 2024". eFestivals. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ Burton, Poppy (6 December 2024). "Boomtown 2025: Sex Pistols & Frank Carter, Maribou State and Sean Paul lead first line-up". NME. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ "BoomTown Festival 2025". eFestivals. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ Porter, Hilary (9 October 2017). "BOOMTOWN FAIR RAISES OVER £116,303 FOR CHARITY". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Charity Support". BoomTown. Archived from the original on 6 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ Neal, Charlotte (31 May 2015). "Boomtown Fair organisers bring carnival fun at Winchester workshops". Hampshire Chronicle. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ^ Hatherley, Sam (18 February 2020). "Boomtown festival aims to plant one million trees this year". Hampshire Chronicle. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ Streatfield, Emma (10 March 2012). "Mum, 45, died from Ecstasy overdose at music festival". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "Teenager died after taking ketamine at festival, inquest hears". The Guardian. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ "Boomtown Fair: Front of house drug tests delay 'ludicrous'". BBC News. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ "Woman dies in tent at Boomtown Fair festival". BBC News. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ "Woman dies at BoomTown Fair music festival in Hampshire". The Guardian. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ Cockburn, Harry (13 August 2016). "Fire at Boomtown music festival in Hampshire destroys 80 cars". The Independent. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ Horton, Helena (11 August 2017). "Festivalgoers reportedly faint in queue for Boomtown fair after festival ramps up security". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ Murray, Robin (12 August 2019). "Piece of stage 'ripped off' and landed on crowd at festival". Bristol Post. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ "Festival-goer dies after 'medical incident'". BBC News. 13 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ "DJ Mag's Top 50 festivals 2019". Djmag.com. 3 January 2021.
- ^ Cabello, Felipe Latorre (30 January 2023). "Peep DJ Mag's Top 100 Festivals 2022 List". EDMTunes. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
Boomtown
- ^ "Drum&Bass Awards 2017 Results". Drum&Bass Awards. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Drum&Bass Awards 2018 Results". Drum&Bass Awards. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Drum&BassArena Awards 2019: The Results". UKF. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Drum&Bass Awards". Drum&Bass Awards 2020 Results. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Drum&BassArena Awards 2022". awards.breakbeat.co.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "A Greener Festival announce 2018 award winners – Powerful Thinking". Powerful Thinking. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- ^ "Shortlists 2018 | UK Festival Awards 2019". UK Festival Awards 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- ^ "UK Festival Awards reveals 2019 shortlists – CGA". CGA. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "2022 Winners | UK Festival Awards 2023". UK Festival Awards 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "2023 Winners | UK Festival Awards 2023". UK Festival Awards 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Boomtown's channel on YouTube
- Boomtown Source (unofficial festival blog)