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Preview: Boomtown Fair 2018
Ten years ago, Boomtown was set up by friends from Bristol, who have turned their small community into one of the UK’s biggest and most impressive festivals. This month they return with their tenth chapter, taking over the Matterley Estate in Hampshire from August 9-12.
The diverse, 200-strong line up includes Gorillaz, Die Antwoored, Limp Bizkit, Jimmy Cliff, Goldie, Enter Shikari, Billy Bragg, Nadia Rose and locals IDLES, along with an unbeatable crowd of circus performers and actors who bring the festival to life. They will be weaving a fascinating story through the proceedings as in previous years, quite apart from the near 24-hour entertainment across the different stages.
To celebrate the tenth anniversary, organisers have also shaken up the festival’s usual districts. Favourites like the Lion’s Den, the Old City and Town Centre remain, but ChinaTown has been reimagined as the futuristic Metropolis.
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The main Pagoda Plaza stage will be opened on Thursday, August 9 by Bristol’s own Alfresco Disco, before handing the reins to Bugged Out on Saturday, who will invite the likes of Dusky, Simian Mobile Disco and even Idris Elba to the stage.
Following unprecedented success in 2017, The Loop will also return to Boomtown this year. The harm-reduction service offers free and anonymous drug testing and advice, as well as being a safe space for anyone to seek help if they need it.
Boomtown takes place from August 9-12. For more info and tickets, visit www.boomtownfair.co.uk.
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