What's on at the new-look Shindig Festival?

Rachel Candlin
BBC News, West of England
goodgroove A group of festival-goers in brightly-coloured clothing looking happy and relaxed. Two are dancing in the foreground and in the background there is a large tipi tent.goodgroove
Shindig Festival will take place in Wiltshire this year instead of Somerset

With just two days to go until the return of the Shindig Festival, many people will be in the process of planning their journeys and itineraries.

The event is making a comeback at Charlton Park in Wiltshire - the former home of Womad - after spending 10 years in Ilminster, Somerset.

Co-founder Simon Clarke said the venue was "a new era for Shindig" after organisers had said 2024 would be the last event due to a "challenging economic climate".

The gates open at 12:00 BST on 22 May for the four-day event.

What's on at this year's festival?

Shindig music programmer Stu Matson said the 2025 line up is a "global celebration of rhythm and culture where afrobeat meets electronic, reggae meets soul, funk meets industrial rap".

Dubbed "a pint-sized version of Glastonbury", the festival is hosted in a collection of marquees and giant tipis.

Live acts include Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Ibibio Sound Machine, TC & The Groove Family and former member of The Prodigy Leeroy Thornhill.

DJs taking to the stage include BBC Radio 6 DJ Gilles Peterson, Mr Scruff, Dan Shake and Danny Howells.

Art installations will be on display including "giant welded artwork" and fire-breathing sculptures made by the Rockaway Park cultural centre and the Mutoid Waste Company.

The healing field is offering hot tubs, saunas and massages and a pamper parlour.

And Glastonbury's popular The Rabbit Hole area will also be at Shindig for the first time this year.

Do I need to buy tickets?

Tickets can be bought online via the festival's website either beforehand or over the course of the event, subject to availability.

Weekend adult tickets are priced at £210 to include camping and day tickets can be purchased for £75 with one night under canvas.

Live-in vehicles are charged at £95 for the whole event.

Concessions are available for children, and those under the age of four can attend for free.

Local residents living within a 6km (3.7 mile) radius of Charlton Park can receive a discount.

How to get there

Charlton Park is located just off the A429 between Cirencester and Chippenham, close to Malmesbury.

The site is 11km (7 miles) from Junction 17 of the M4, about 160km (100 miles) from London.

Festival-goers are advised to use the postcode SN16 9LL and to follow the yellow AA signs for Shindig.

Car parking costs £40 for the whole event.

The two closest mainline railway stations are Swindon and Chippenham, and bus route 99 stops 500m (1640 ft) from the main entrance and can be picked up in Swindon or Chippenham.

goodgroove A giant sculpture of an insect photographed at dusk and lit up by green-tinged lighting with stalls and crowds milling aroundgoodgroove
Art installations will be on display at the new site in Charlton Park

Last year Shindig's organisers said they would not be able to continue putting on the festival due to the "challenging economic landscape of the events industry".

However, Mr Clarke said the new site would ensure the festival's ongoing viability.

"This renowned site allows us to introduce new stages, a broader live music line-up and fresh immersive experiences - the foundation for a solid future."

Womad organisers announced in November 2024 that the world music event would be moving to a new home and taking a year off in 2025.

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