Welcome to Venue’s
biggest ever Festival Guide.

Close your eyes, breathe deeply and imagine your ideal festival moment. There are some of you who are no doubt envisaging the rush of euphoria as a huge bass line drops and 50,000 people cheer in unison, their smiling faces surrounding you and yours – a community of likeminded revellers coming together for this one flash of utopia. Others will be soaking up the sunshine as a gorgeous acoustic melody floats through the air, playfully tickling your ear drums as families, young and old, revel in tranquillity. More will be leaping feverishly, sweat and hair mingled, face in joyous gurn as axes are thrashed and riffs the size of Satan rip the atmosphere in two.

The point is, everyone is different – but no matter what floats your metaphorical boat, the gloriously eclectic UK (and international) festival scene has it covered – and how.

What you are holding is a veritable bible of festivals, from spring through to winter, local to national to international. There are new kids on the block, well-established veterans, the pop, the rock and the downright weird.

So whether you are a festival virgin or a haggard old warhorse this guide should both inform and inspire you, providing all the info you need to make this an incredible year.

Stuart Roberts Editor

In memory of Chris Alderton. 1980-2011

A message from our sponsor…

An evening of music from around the world will be staged at Bristol Zoo Gardens this summer as it teams up with the WOMAD festival for a unique concert.

Visitors will be able to step into a world of music, arts and dance at the event which takes place on Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 6pm, within the Zoo’s impressive 12-acre grounds.

WOMAD at Bristol Zoo is part of a series of events at the Zoo this year to celebrate its 175th birthday.

The first confirmed acts for the festival are Muntu Valdo, of Cameroon, Rua Macmillan, from Scotland, and Siyaya of Zimbabwe.
Visitors to WOMAD at Bristol Zoo will enjoy two stages offering some of the best in world music, as well as children’s workshops, stalls and entertainment. And if that’s not enough, visitors can also visit a host of different animal species at home in the Zoo, as some of the Zoo’s animal houses will be kept open late.

Tickets are now available for WOMAD at Bristol Zoo, with discounts for those who buy in advance. To find out more visit www.bristolzoo.org.uk/womad or phone the Zoo on 0117 974 7300.

WOMAD – World of Music, Arts and Dance – is an internationally established festival which brings together artists from all over the globe.

As well as offering visitors a great evening out, WOMAD at Bristol Zoo will also help raise money for charity - all profits made, once those basic bills have been paid, will go to gorilla conservation.

Advance tickets for WOMAD at Bristol Zoo cost £20 (adult) and £5 (child) or £45 for a family ticket. Under 3s are free. Further discounts apply for Zoo members who book in advance.

WOMAD at Bristol Zoo