Common People, the ultimate bank holiday bonanza is back on Southampton Common and in South Park in Oxford, for our two-day metropolitan adventure uniting the community through music, art and good times.
Common People curator Rob da Bank says: ‘Common People is all about having some proper moments together as friends and family. Our cast this year to make you dance, sing and generally lose your shizzle include none other than recent Number One album artist, Mr Pete Tong, a legend of the dance and Radio 1 for over quarter of a century now, and here with a rare outdoor performance of his orchestral wonder Ibiza Dance Classics. Also, stepping up is Sean Paul, a dancehall god with more bangers up his sleeve than a fireworks factory. Proving able support at both shows will be Groove Armada and loads more fantastic acts, so have a read, explore and see you in the fields my lovely Common People!’
We weren’t kidding, when we said it’ll be a proper party, with DJ legend Pete Tong, the Heritage Orchestra and conductor Jules Buckley’s number one album collaboration topping the bill and king of the dancehall, Sean Paul headlining The Common Stage.
Sean Paul is back and bigger than ever. Fresh from ruling the charts with his Clean Bandit collaboration, and a jaw-dropping headline set at last year’s Bestival, when the man who single-handedly brought dancehall to the mainstream is involved, you know things are gonna get dutty. We can’t wait to bruk it down and get cool and deadly.
bank holiday will be filled with White Isle vibes on a cultivated tip as BBC Radio 1’s dancefloor don Pete Tong present Ibiza Classics performed by The Heritage Orchestra conducted by Jules Buckley. Not due to return to UK shores for his own shows until December, this is a gilt-edged opportunity to catch one of the most talked about shows of 2016 as the summer festival season kicks off. The definition of proper classic house euphoria that has got historic written all over it.
Pete Tong said “Performing Ibiza Classics with the Heritage Orchestra and Jules Buckley is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever been involved with, from stepping on stage at The Royal Albert Hall for the R1 proms through to performing to a packed to the rafters 02 in London, it’s been a non-stop thrill, now bringing the show to the great outdoors for our first festival appearance at Common People could be our biggest thrill yet!"
But that’s not all, The Common Stage will see sublime dancefloor duo Groove Armada hitting the decks to provide their own inimitable brand of booty shaking brilliance with appearances from Wild Beasts, Foals (DJ set), The Selecter + The Beat, Saint Etienne, Amy MacDonald, House Gospel Choir and Lucy Leave On Saturday in Oxford, while South Park’s Sunday mainstage action will see BRITs Critics’ Choice winner 2017 Rag’n’Bone Man’s staggering vocals and gospel-powered grooves, plus music from Becky Hill, The Cuban Brothers, Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana and Coldredlight.
And in Southampton, The Common Stage will see BRITs Critics’ Choice winner 2013 Tom Odell’s charismatic swagger and rave legends Faithless on the ones & twos, plus there will be appearances from Loyle Carner, Becky Hill, Stefflon Don, Seán McGowan, Kassassin Street, Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana and Black Kat Boppers on Saturday. And Groove Armada, Wild Beasts, British Sea Power, Amy MacDonald, Nadia Rose, Novelist, House Gospel Choir, Signals and The Novatones will appear on Sunday.
Filling your dancing boots throughout the weekend, the Uncontained Stage will be jumping with My Nu Leng & M8s and very special guest Goldie, Novelist, Redlight, GotSome and Klose One, all stepping up to the plates to drop bombs on Saturday in Oxford and Sunday in Southampton, while hands in the air behaviour will come courtesy of Moxie presents On Loop featuring sets from Joy Orbison, Midland, Kornél Kovács, Felix Dickinson and Or:la on Saturday in Southampton and Sunday in Oxford.
Discovering new music is what gets the man like da Bank out of bed in the morning, it’s the very the lifeblood of the Bestival team! So, we’ve teamed up with fellow new music evangelist and Oxford institution Nightshift once again to showcase the best new local bands alongside some of the most exciting acts around on the Uncommon Stage, including ShaoDow, Zaia, The Balkan Wanderers, Jess Hall & Barney Morse Brown, Kanadia, Vienna Ditto, Death of Hi-Fi, Leader, Young Women's Music Project, Rhymeskeemz, The Shapes, Low Island, Desert Storm, The Epstein, Little Red, The Pink Diamond Revue, Catgod and Slate Hearts.
And continuing our long and illustrious partnership with The Joiners in Southampton we are delighted to present Beans on Toast, Black Honey, Natives, Happy Accidents, Cassava, Fever, XOCKHA, Feeble Grandpa, Scarecrow Boat, Nakamarra, Gun Shy and Deltorers.
Oxford will see universal dance adventures at The Pig’s Big Record Club Stage, hosted by the Shellac Collective 78s DJs and ensuring the party always swings, there will be a host of local DJs from Southampton and Oxford across the weekend.
With amazing music keeping your feet moving throughout the bank holiday weekend, we’ll be bringing a little taste of our legendary madness and mayhem ramping up the Bestival antics to transform Common People into an amazing festival wonderland, with plenty of our off-the-wall shenanigans including boss boogying at the Disco Shed in Oxford, and the World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle in Southampton, plus both shows will have the old-time pleasures of Vintage Funfair Rides, surprising Pop-Up Performances, brass-powered Horns of Plenty in Oxford, and Saints Brass in Southampton with the savoury delights of Scrumptious Street Food, decadent drinkies from Cocktail Bars, a fantastic Kids Area with the gymnastic pageantry of Circus, Face Painting, Crazy Inflatables, and much more!
Published on 21 February 2017 by Ben Robinson
