Sold out for the second year

Valley Fest sold out for the second year running over the weekend (4-7th August). Crowds flocked to the side of Chew Valley Lake for plenty of wholesome fun in the glorious sun. The family-friendly music festival, in its eighth year, is going from strength to strength. As well as big name acts, from the likes of Clean Bandit, Kosheen, Travis, Faithless (Dj Set) Roni Size and the Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club, the weekend showcased the region’s finest produce. This year, Josh Eggleton was at the helm of the food programme. Festival goers could join feasts, watch cooking demonstrations as well as eat an array of carefully-curated street food.

Valley Fest has teamed up with Arcadia, the performance-art collective, and created a brand-new area: The Alchemist’s Playground. Here, the whole family got involved making structures and sculptures from recycled materials including a helicopter and aeroplane wings. They built their own stage and partied on it with Junior Jungle headlining on Saturday afternoon. By night, The Afterburner stage lit up with DJs, the Lords of Lightning tesla coil show amazed the crowds, as did the boundary-pushing fire performances, which could be admired from the whole Chew Valley.

Valley Fest was also the first-ever festival to showcase all things regenerative – from food, farming, fashion, gardening, beauty and drinks. Never before has a music and food festival highlighted this approach in such a big way. The programme for Regen Area, sponsored by Yeo Valley, was packed with debates, talks and workshops from some of the leaders in the field. Luke Hasell, Festival Founder says:

“Without a shadow of a doubt, it was the best one yet! So many people answered the call to Get on My Land! It was truly epic and the feedback we’ve been getting has been incredible, plus we’ve raised a lot of money for Teenage Cancer Trust. We can’t wait to do it all again next year!”

The Dolly Show was a highlight for many. The tribute act always inspires the fancy-dress competition, which is consistently fierce. And the first prize was won by Doggy Parton – a dual assistance dog. Valley Fest offered hedge-to-hedge Somerset sparkle, plenty of nonsense with a spectacular soundtrack and a magnificent menu. Early bird tickets go on sale for next year on Friday 12th August at noon. Next year’s dates are 3rd - 6th August 2023