Busta Rhymes – Outkast – Chic featuring Nile Rodgers
4 – 7 September
Isle of Wight
Adult weekend ticket £195
Brainchild of Radio One DJ and music extraordinaire Rob da Bank, Bestival has been the high point of the late summer calendar since 2004. With fancy-dress frolicking – which wouldn’t be complete without a dressing up tent – a ‘secret stage’, and music running from 11am till 5am, Bestival is one of the most alternative and diverse events on the UK festival scene. Participants are encouraged to dress up; this year’s theme is Desert Island Disco, so (in the words of founder Rob da Bank) “Palm trees, grass skirts and mirrorballs are the order of the day”.
Bestival is often described as a boutique festival, despite opening its doors to 55,000 attendees each year. It has a social and environmental heart, supporting causes like Rob da Bank’s Music Club and Isle of Wight Youth Trust. This, along with its non-corporate feel, gives Bestival the small festival vibe with all the perks that come with big events; and it must be working, as Bestival has won titles at the UK Festival Awards including ‘Best Major Festival’ for 2012, and ‘Fans’ Favourite Festival’ in 2011.
The line-up for 2014 is as exciting as the ethos of the festival. American rapper Busta Rhymes is making his first ever UK festival appearance, bringing some hip-hop to the Desert Island Disco. Beck will be appearing on the Main Stage, and he’ll be armed with plenty of new material considering he has a new album (Morning Phase) ready to go, and is rumoured to have another new album in the pipelines too. Saturday night will see Bestival veterans Foals; one of the biggest British indie bands of the last 10 years and the return of the King of Funk, Nile Rodgers who headlines the Sunday night slot. With sibling duo Disclosure warming Friday night up for freshly reformed Outkast, this year’s Bestival is set to host some of the most highly anticipated performances on the festival scene.
