Bigger is definitely not better. The world of festivals is saturated with mammoth stages, heavy weight headliners and over priced beer tents.
At Playgroup Festival we know it’s the small things in life that matter; from wonderful grassroots music, to a community of like-minded festival-goers and picturesque surroundings. With 3,500 revellers, staff and performers, the three day event delivers a personal experience more akin to the early days of Glastonbury or your first kiss.
Starting out in 2010 as a Chinese whisper with a hand full of ticket holders, a Bedtime Stories fancy dress theme and a stunning location half way between London and Brighton, Playgroup festival is a microcosm in the countryside for those looking to escape the rat race, have a foot stomp and make new friends. Last year the family adorned their best tweed and galoshes to celebrate British Wildlife and are back in August 2012 for one mighty teddy bears picnic paying homage to the Lost Toys of our youth. Each ticket holder will be allocated a character (robot, dinosaur, tin soldier, cowboy, ragdoll, monster under the bed, puppet or teddy bear) and is invited to participate in the site-wide games, parades and activities throughout the weekend.
Lost Toys will be pulled head-first into secret passages and arts tents curated independently by some of the best imaginations from the south east. With pitch owners ready to coax passers by into performing impromptu game shows, the Arnie Workout, getting papped on an exotic ship or simply lapping up the wonderful installations littered across the stunning ancient deer park that is, Eridge.
The eclectic musical line-up includes a fifty piece carnival band, roving gypsy ensemble, a swingin’ burlesque troupe and a selection of the best electronica with the likes of: Submotion Orchestra, DJ Format, The Herbaliser, Hidden Orchestra, High Rankin, Nedry, Belleruche and a few secret headliners performing toe-to-toe with emerging grassroots talent from across the South East. Add to that a kids arena, five music and cabaret stages, healing fields, green renewable power used across the site and locally sourced gastronomic delights (including a pizza wizard) and you’ve got a pretty special little event on your hands!
Published on 24 April 2012 by Wayne Feltham
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