GO AD-FREE. Get 2 Months Digital Subscription for ONLY £1! Use code 2FOR1
GET STARTEDMore on KentOnline
GO AD-FREE. Get 2 Months Digital Subscription for ONLY £1! Use code 2FOR1
GET STARTEDMore on KentOnline
The weather's warming up, and it feels like summer's just around the corner. Kent's bursting with music festivals this year - here's our guide.
Big Day Out in Mote Park added an extra day after tickets to the Saturday sold out, so will be on Saturday, June 25 and Saturday, June 26.
The new event will feature crowd favourites Chas and Dave, rapper Maverick Sabre, The Hoosiers, Toploader, X-Factor live finalist, Lucy Spraggan and The Pigeon Detectives.
Also confirmed to appear are Britain’s Got Talent favourites, dance troupe Diversity, and David Bowie tribute act, Absolute Bowie.
Characters Marshall and Chase from children’s TV show, Paw Patrol, will also entertain younger audiences and there will be CBeebies characters.
Big Day Out will put on beer, cider and ales tents available for punters, as well as a foods of the world festival. Tickets start at £20. For details click here.
Nineties band Reef will headline this year’s Vicar’s Picnic two-day festival in Yalding.
The band, whose debut album Replenish was released in 1995, will play the event on Saturday, July 16.
The line-up includes John Power from last year’s headliners Cast; Kent’s Coco and the Butterfields; Skinny Lister and Congo Faith Healers.
It is now held on The Lees. This year it will be on Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16, and will raise funds for Demelza.
Tickets are £45; £30 for 13 to 17-year-olds. Visit vicarspicnic.co.uk to book.
Aerosmith’s bass player will join Thin Lizzy at a one-off, special gig at this summer’s Ramblin’ Man Fair, on Saturday, July 23 and Sunday, July 24.
The gig in Mote Park, Maidstone, will be the only chance to see Thin Lizzy in this country as they mark the 40th anniversary of their seminal Jailbreak album and the 30th anniversary of the death of Phil Lynott.
A founding member of Aerosmith and co-writer of iconic songs such as Sweet Emotion and Janie’s Got A Gun, Tom Hamilton will join guitarists Scott Gorham and Damon Johnson, together with lead vocalist Ricky Warwick and keyboard player Darren Wharton.
The one-off date will be on the first day of the fair, on Saturday, July 23, when they will join Whitesnake headlining with Hawkwind, Uriah Heap and Procol Harum. Headliners on Sunday, July 24 will be Black Stone Cherry. Also announced will be Thunder, Whiskey Myers and Road Dog.
Tickets are £130 for the weekend (£225 VIP) with Saturday or Sunday general admission £75 or VIP £125. To book, or for more information click here.
Two chart-topping bands have been headlined to play at the Dover Festival on Saturday, July 23 and Sunday, July 24.
The Christians, who had five top 40 singles in the 1980s and 1990s will take to the stage at Cruise Terminal 1 on the Saturday and the late Ian Drury’s band The Blockheads will appear on the Sunday.
The free weekend of family entertainment is a collaboration of Dover Music Festival and the Port of Dover Community Regatta. For more information search the Port of Dover Community Regatta and Dover Music Festival on Facebook.
Being held at a secret location near Tunbridge Wells, LeeFest: The Neverland will be across three main stages and 12 music venues.
Acclaimed young band Circa Waves will be Friday night headliners for the event, being held from Thursday, July 28 to Saturday, July 30.
They’ll be joined on the bill by art-rock pioneers Everything Everything, who have three acclaimed albums in their back pocket; Garage rockers VANT and cult drum and bass hero DJ Marky & MC GQ will be bringing their unique styles. Alongside Saturday night headliner Lianne La Havas, the weekend sees performances from Ghostpoet, Shura, Roots Manuva, The 2 Bears, Submotion Orchestra, Little Simz, Loyle Carner, Formation, Clean Cut Kid and Spring King. There will also be immersive areas and not-to-be-missed events including glitter wrestling, paint fights and cabaret. Tickets are available here.
There's two stages, interactive workshops and bands including Lazy Habits, Tankus the Henge, Crinkle Cuts and Funke and the Two Tone Baby at the 2016 Wonderville Festival.
Held at Jubilee Farm in Rhodes Minnis, Canterbury on Saturday, July 30, there's something for everyone from this musical feast. Tickets at £25 from wondervillefestival.co.uk
The county’s signature soul music festival held in and around the picturesque Margate Harbour will run from Friday, August 5 to Sunday, August 7.
With three days of non-stop music and more than 50 DJs, the seaside event has four stages and seven themed venues, and has a combination of ticketed large-scale live shows and free family and street performances. Aiming to suit a range of musical tastes, there’s also club nightlife starting at 8pm. For details go here.
The Stranglers will headline the festival at Mount Ephraim Gardens in Hernhill, from Friday, August 5 to Sunday, August 7.
The family-focused weekend will also welcome fellow headliners Ian Anderson, from Grammy Award-winning Jethro Tull, and Wilko Johnson. The woman behind Glastonbury’s Kidzfield will be providing the children’s entertainment, and there will be an eclectic mix of music and craft workshops, food stalls and bars, and for those staying over there will be camping and glamping.
Other musicians on the line-up include Heavy Metal Kids, Limehouse Lizzy, Jackie Lynton, the Blockheads and Canterbury’s own Caravan. A New Day Festival weekend tickets start at £89, with day tickets also available. For details and tickets, visit anewdayfestival.com
Running over more than a week, the festival has been running for 51 years and attracts some of the big names in folk, both from the county and further afield.
This year it will be held from Friday, August 5 to Tuesday, August 16, and will see free live folk music at a range of venues throughout the time. There are also many associated events including a craft and music fair and workshops. For details go here.
Bearsted’s Music On The Green returns this August bank holiday weekend after a three-year hiatus.
Local artists, including Starks Family Band, The Mofos and The Kick Backs are among the line-up for the one-day event on Sunday, August 28.
Running from noon to 9pm, the driving force behind the revival is the team at Bearsted Events, made up of Jo Conner, Ruth Corney, William Wood and Craig Bennett. Besides live music there will be real ales, boutique food sellers and entertainment for the whole family. For tickets and full details click here.
A fixture for more than a quarter of a century, this year’s festival will take place on Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4, and will again feature parades through the town centre, a hop heritage area and stages with live bands throughout the weekend. There will also be camping facilities this year. The festival is run by volunteers with partners including Shepherd Neame. For the latest developments visit favershamhopfestival.org
Big names in techno and dance music will be at the Social at the Kent Showground, Detling near Maidstone on Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10.
Techno heavyweight DJ Carl Cox headlines on the Saturday, with the line-up including duo Sasha & John Digweed on the Friday. New to the showground, there will be camping, funfair rides and market stalls. For details and tickets, go here.
Combining cider and live music in the Kentish countryside, the festival returns for a second year on Saturday, September 10, with a string of live acts and a family-friendly festival atmosphere.
Held at Loddington Farm, just outside Maidstone between Linton and Marden, early bird tickets are £11 for adults, £5.50 for five to 15-year-olds with children up to nine going free. Doors will open at 11am with music from 1pm. For the line-up and tickets visit harvest2016.com
The event, which attracts folk acts and morris dancers, will run from Thursday, September 29 to Sunday, October 2 and features four days of music, dance, arts and tradition.
The main days for dancing will be the Saturday and Sunday. For 2016, organisers are limiting the number of sides to 60. Visitors will be able to camp. For details click here.
