Now in its 16th year, Riverside has become a major fixture in Oxfordshire’s music calendar, with more than 30 acts playing across two stages, bars, food stalls, and festival goodies
Despite the work involved and the cost of putting on an event of this size, the festival is still run entirely by volunteers and still free for all to enter. It’s a truly family-friendly festival, with a dedicated kids’ area kitted out with a bouncy castle and activities. Last year over 5000 people attended Riverside and the organisers are expecting similar numbers this year.
In 2010 BBC Radio Oxford broadcast its BBC Introducing show live from Riverside. Here’s what presenter Tim Bearder had to say:
‘Incredible festival at the weekend! I came and did the show from there on Saturday and was blown away by the quality of the event. It was really nice to see those great local bands on the main stage. The line-up on Saturday: Charly Coombes, The Family Machine and ending with Borderville made for a show that many bigger festivals ought to have been seriously envious of.’ Tim Bearder, BBC Radio Oxford
NEW THIS YEAR
This year’s fancy dress theme is Treasure Island, a nod to the festival’s idyllic location on the, hopefully sunny, Mill Field, an island surrounded by the river Evenlode. So if you’d like to dress up as a pirate or a sea monster, don a grass skirt or just fancy digging out that Hawaiian shirt from the back of the wardrobe, you’ll fit right in.
In the Kids’ Zone, Andy Hill and Zarah Tehani of BG records are running DJ, lyric-writing and art workshops based around Hip Hop music; and younger festival goers can join in hands-on music sessions with the Salt Box Music Company. For the first time there’s a dedicated family disco marquee – great for dad dancing on 19th June, Fathers’ Day. With a bouncy castle, face painting, willow weaving and clay modelling, this promises to be the most family-friendly Riverside ever.
Festival goers of all ages can be part of a major community art installation sponsored by Time For Change – a national campaign to challenge ingrained attitudes to mental health. This ambitious project to create a forest of life-size trees covered in buttons is already taking shape at The Mill day centre in Oxford with individuals and groups across Oxfordshire donating buttons, and local children and visitors to the centre attaching them to chickenwire trees - if you have any spare buttons at home, bring them along to the Mill Field and add them to a button tree. To find out more about the project or to donate buttons visit buttonforest.co.uk
HOW TO GET THERE
The entrance to the Festival site is down Mill Lane, virtually opposite Charlbury railway station. The station is on the London Paddington to Hereford and Worcester line, 15 minutes from Oxford. On the Saturday there are buses from Oxford, Woodstock, Witney, Chipping Norton and Banbury to the centre of Charlbury, five minutes walk from the Festival.
Restrictions: Due to licensing laws and health and safety regulations, festival goers cannot bring alcohol, glass bottles and cans into the arena, but the two bars and other refreshment stalls will be selling drinks at very reasonable prices. No camping at the festival, see website for information on nearby camp sites and hotels. No dogs other than assistance dogs.
THE MUSIC
The headline act for Saturday night (18 June) is five-piece instrumental rock band The Rock of Travolta who will be bigging up their act with string and brass sections. For more info go to therockoftravolta.com
Cabaret rock band, Borderville, Charly Coombes and The New Breed, and The Prohibition Smoker’s Club who were all big successes last year are back for an encore along with popular Oxford band The Black Hats. Two other acts which look set to go down well with the crowd are The Fenns who will be headlining on Sunday, and Steamroller. Expect some nifty guitar playing from The Fenns, a family band of brothers and sons, which happens to include 10CC guitarist Rick Fenn. Blues rock trio Steamroller has history too. Playing professionally since the 1960s, these seasoned rockers have shared stages with The Rolling Stones, the Animals, Tom Jones, Steve Winwood and Dusty Springfield. Other acts already booked include the bluesy Tamara & The Martyrs, dance band Manacles of Acid, and punk rockers The Dirty Royals.
Published on 19 May 2011 by Ben Robinson
.jpg)