Camp Bestival 2012 - Preview

What other music festival could you find Hot Chip, a panto, thousands of people dressed ready for a sports day hosted by Bluecoats, a comedy club for kids, The Happy Mondays, the English National Ballet running workshops, Gabrielle Aplin, bonkers electro-pop man Kid Carpet with a gorilla and a hedgehog, Jimmy Carr, an opera of Roald Dahl’s classic Fantastic Mr Fox, Spector, Mr Tumble, Rizzle Kicks, a circus, Adam & The Ants, Dick & Dom, DJ sets from the likes of The Nextmen, the Olympic opening ceremony on a big screen, Howard Marks reading kids stories, a headphone disco, Ren Harvieu, a freestyle sports park, boutique camping, an inflatable church, medieval jousting , fearless wall of death motorbikes and an epic firework display over a castle near the sea ? The answer is of course Camp Bestival, near Lulworth cove in Dorset.

Rob Da Bank’s baby brainchild of its bigger brother Bestival started in 2008 and has now established itself in a unique position within the festival market. Many similar events claim to be family friendly, but how many seamlessly merge the wants of adults and kids where both can be kept fully entertained for three days of magic so well? With a beautifully decorated site and a happy relaxed atmosphere (that is as relaxed as it can ever be when several thousand under 10’s converge on a field in Dorset) the main thing to remember to bring with you to this festival is a child; because there are thousands of them at Camp Bestival. Although don’t get yourself arrested by abducting someone else’s, many people do come without kids and enjoy the safer more family orientated atmosphere without a small person in tow. Expect a camp site packed with huge family sized tents, hundreds of pushchairs and trolleys decked out with fairy lights and blankets and the likes of Dick and Dom and The Gruffalo pulling headline sized audiences to the main stage first thing in the morning. (Let's just hope that this year they don't make a young child cry) You won’t get that at Reading and Leeds.

Camp Bestival 2011 - Video

For 2012 Breaking More Waves will also be playing a small part in the festival. Together with two other Bestival / Camp Bestival regulars we’ll be grabbing our headphones to DJ in the Big Top Silent Disco late on the Friday night between 1.30am and 3.00am in a versus against some of the Camp Bestival crew themselves. Expect plenty of songs that involve singing along like no one can hear you before you hit the sack. Here’s a clip we shot from stage last year at our early afternoon not so silent Bollywood set.

Camp Bestival 2011 - Sunday Best Forum Allstars Crowd

 Camp Bestival takes place on July 26th to July 29th at Lulworth Castle in Dorset. Tickets are still available from this link here and although many UK festivals have been a mudbath in 2012 so far, the long term forecast looks reasonably optimistic. Here’s a two Breaking More Waves favourites and recommendations of artists to see.

Gabrielle Aplin – Home

Since we first featured Gabrielle Aplin as a new wave on the blog about a year ago she’s played sold out gigs, put out a self-released EP that went top ten on iTunes and bagged herself a major label record deal. An album will follow either later this year or the beginning of next. This song, Home has now had over 1 million views on You Tube. Big things are expected from Gabrielle Aplin, catch her whilst you can at Camp Bestival.

Rizzle Kicks – Mama Do The Hump (Vato Gonzalez Remix)

Back in November 2010 when we suggested that the demo version of Rizzle Kicks Down With The Trumpets sounded like a hit in the making we had no idea how successful they would go on to be. With hit singles galore and a top 5 album in the UK, Rizzle Kicks will almost undoubtedly be one of the big draws for both the young and old(er) at Camp Bestival in much the same way that the likes of Ellie Goulding, Florence & The Machine, Katy B and Example have been in previous years. These are some of the UK’s genuine popstars – not underground bands that only the few have heard of – but proper chart stars who appeal to teenagers and their parents. Now as Camp Bestival is a family friendly festival 2012 will really be the time to see Mama Do The Hump.