Bestival 2013

Thursday 5 September -

Sunday 8 September 2013

EARLY BIRD PACKAGES ON SALE NOW!!!!!!

Fatboy Slim's
Bestival Birthday Bash!

Rob da Bank says, “I still can't believe Bestival is gonna be ten… But it is, and that’s great ‘cos it means we get to go even more mental with our on-site creations and general madness. We wanted to have a big moment for all our amazing crew and the beautiful Bestivalites, whether they've been with us for the last decade or even just this year, so we went back to one of our headliners from the very first year and someone who's supported us since our early days in clubland. Yes ladies and gents, boys and girls - roll up roll up for what will be the biggest spectacle in UK festival land as we unveil Fatboy Slim’s Bestival Birthday Bash”.

Fatboy Slim says, “It was at Glastonbury 2003 (where I closed the Sunday Best stage for Rob da Bank) that I first saw the glint in his eye to create his own festival. Twelve months later I was headlining the first Bestival and TEN years on, here I am again, throwing them the biggest birthday bash possible and sharing the main stage alongside Elton John and Snoop Dogg. It’s an absolute honour to return for this momentous occasion – staying creative and independent in these times.  You've come a long way, baby!"

Oh yes! The much anticipated Friday night headliner will be the one and only Fatboy Slim aka Norman Cook. Norman was one of the very first headliners at the inaugural Bestival (in 2004), so it's a real coup to have him aboard HMS Bestival - in his rightful place once again, helping to celebrate our spectacular tenth anniversary. Playing an exclusive set just for us, which he's dubbed 'Fatboy Slim's Bestival Birthday Bash', it’s guaranteed to be a monumental appearance, with outrageous on-stage birthday party antics galore and some very special surprises which will be revealed on the night.  Armed with an almost endless abundance of mega-hit singles, from Everybody Needs A 303 to Star 69 and way beyond, you can expect the mother of all celebrations as the master of good-time party music throws down a large helping of epic goodness, like only he can.

And what a ten years it’s been, from just a few thousand people rocking out in 2004 to becoming the UK Best Major Festival winner in 2012, we certainly have come a long way baby! Whilst staying true to our independent, boutique roots we’re definitely playing with the big boys now and we promise a spectacle that’s not to be missed.  Our 10th birthday bash going to be the party of the year, so don’t miss out!

It’s full steam ahead for HMS Bestival. Roll on September!

Anchors aweigh for Bestival's 10th Birthday Spectacular, featuring headliners ELTON JOHN & HIS BAND and SNOOP DOGG

HMS Bestival is now boarding! That’s right, preparations for the four-day 10th Birthday Spectacular are well underway and just revelaed are the legendary Saturday and Sunday night headliners, Snoop Dogg and Elton John respectively!

Commenting on his Sunday night Bestival 2013 headline slot, Elton John said; “2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of the ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ album, so you can expect to hear several tracks from that album. My shows always involve audience participation, singing and dancing, so make sure there is plenty of room for movement inside those fancy dress costumes!”

 With Sunday night well and truly taken care of, we are beside ourselves with joy to announce that The Doggfather himself Snoop Dogg will be wowing the Bestival Main Stage crowd as our Saturday night headliner! Hip-hop icon, pop culture phenomenon, izzle speak don and quite simply one of the most gifted spitters ever, Snoop Dogg’s live show takes no prisoners with his laidback flow capping an almost endless catalogue of super-fat beats. With a forthcoming album produced by Major Lazer and some of hip-hop’s biggest anthems under his belt, you can expect Saturday night at Bestival to blow you away.

We have, of course, got plenty more amazing live acts coming aboard, including the mighty M.I.A with a UK festival exclusive set plus anthemic Scottish four-piece Franz Ferdinand (playing an English festival exclusive). We’re also very pleased to announce the welcome return of psychedelic bliss-merchants Flaming Lips (playing a UK festival exclusive set), off the wall Swedish art-pop duo The Knife, the unpredictably chameleonic Bombay Bicycle Club (also playing an English festival exclusive set) as well as neo-soulsters The Roots (playing a UK Festival exclusive set). 

Plus we’ll have knock-out appearances from majestic indie-pop stalwarts Belle & Sebastian, beguiling chanteuse Jessie Ware, the deservingly hyped Disclosure, BBC Sound of 2013 winner Tom Odell, the incomparable Sinead O’Connor, disco overlords Chic feat Nile Rodgers, Warp legend Squarepusher, a live set from dancefloor smashers Hot Natured, the hottest rapper in the world Angel Haze, kaleidoscopic choral collective The Polyphonic Spree, quite possibly the greatest guitarist of his generation, Johnny Marr, and indie giants Bastille. In what are the first festival shows confirmed for both bands this year, we’ll have mind-bending riffs from Peace and blistering RnB from The Strypes, who have been getting everyone from Elton John to Noel Gallagher out on the town to check out their brilliant live show. We will also be welcoming next level drum’n’bass behemoth DJ Fresh, Dexys performing their acclaimed show “One Day I’m Going to Soar” plus a few Dexys favourites, chart-bothering juggernaut Rudimental, woozy garage rockers The Walkmen and legendary Mancunian poet John Cooper Clarke. 

 And that’s not all as we will also have live sets from Lissie, The Wonder Stuff, Caravan Palace, The Cuban Brothers, Matthew E White, While She Sleeps, Merchandise, Mikill Pane, True Tiger, Sexy Sushi, Is Tropical, Skaters, Lulu James, Swim Deep, Fleetwood Bac, Jaipur Brass Band, Kawa Circus, Lewis Watson, Jaws and J-Cats. And we’ve still got lots more live acts to announce!

Stepping up to the ones and twos on a mission to move your dancing shoes are a whole host of groove controllers including the Plastikman himself Richie Hawtin, techno don Carl Cox, Mark Ronson vs Zane Lowe in their A-Yo DJ guise, Bestival favourite Annie Mac Presents, Detroit via Berlin tech-house hero Seth Troxler, omniscient eclecticist Erol Alkan, house doyen Maya Jane Coles, new beat tsar Julio Bashmore, the sublime reggae of David Rodigan presents RAM JAM, fathomless fiend Dixon, legend of the deep Kerri Chandler, trailblazer Eats Everything, Numbers featuring Jackmaster, Spencer, Redinho, Sophie and special guest Rustie, the future funky dub love of Joy Orbison, the fabled Fabio + Grooverider and a full-on Hospitality Bestival takeover, hosted by Wrec & Dynamite and featuring High Contrast, Danny Byrd, Nu:Logic and Fred V & Grafix. 

Plus we’ll have speaker splitting action from Marcel Dettman, DJ Yoda, The Daft Punk Tribute Night (in The Hidden Disco), Redlight, Bondax, Heidi, Ed Rush, Fake Blood, Jesse Rose, Justin Robertson, Andrew Weatherall & Sean Johnston’s A Love From Outer Space, Ben UFO, Cyril Hahn, Daniel P Carter, Catz N Dogz, My Love Is Underground, Cashmere Cat, Krankbrother, Ben Pearce, Dollop DJs, Alexander Nut, Roska, Bodhi, Kry Wolf, Coley From Luv*Jam, Crispin J. Glover and Bad Zuke with many more still to come.

Following our Best Major Festival Award win at the 2012 UK Festival Awards, our incredible 2013 10th Anniversary is not to be missed! From our opening night Bestival classics party, legendary acts, the most cutting-edge new music, amazing sideshows, cabaret & so much more, we’re going the whole nine yards to deliver the greatest show on Earth, so make sure you join us! Anticipation is really building for the 10th Bestival and tickets are flying, so make sure all you shipmates come aboard while you can!

The 2013 Bestival takes place 5-8th September at Robin Hill, Isle of Wight.

Can you believe that 2013 will see Bestival hitting those magic double figures? That’s right, Bestival is ten and the organisers are really pushing the boat out for what promises to be their biggest and best year ever.

To celebrate Bestival are beating the drum for a whole decade of dancing on the Isle of Wight, by revealing the 2013 theme and inviting you to jump aboard HMS Bestival! Yes indeed, they're manning the rails, splicing the main brace and rocking the sailor’s hornpipe – it’s all hands on deck!

“All the nice girls love a sailor and all the boys love a mermaid. Think deckhands, anchors, beach parties, Moby Dick, tattooed ladies, Titanic, shipwrecks, Hawaii, Treasure Island, rum bars in scuzzy ports, message in a bottle, the crow’s nest, sea legends, monster breakers and tall tales of life on the ocean waves. Nautical but nice!” HMS Bestival skipper Rob da Bank

Coming soon...

dates of when Bestival 2013 tickets will go on general sale are to be confirmed soon.