The first week of August is the time when the Wickham Festival brings a Hampshire field off Blind Lane in Wickham to life with a city of tents, both personally owned and glamming hired tents, for all those who enjoy a proper folk festival with high end acts in four days. The festival started in Gosport, had a decade as the Fareham and Gosport Easter Festival and for over ten years has now been sited a few miles north.
You are guaranteed a feast of stupendous music, much of it from the Celtic Fringes, this year Prince Edward Isle, Orkney and Shetland acts as well as those from the Emerald Isand featured, but also old favourites from the tradition; Les Barker, Show of Hands, Last Nights Fun, Roy Bailey and the Oyster Band regularly appear and the headliners this year included the Dhal Foundation, Sqeeze and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.
Camping is cheap and easy, posh showers and efficient toilet facilities are widely available as are excellent food opportunities at reasonable prices and the festival prides itself on the reasonable behaviour if the very many family groups which tends to keep any rowdy element at bay. Finally each night there is a late night, adult only, comedy show to round out the music and prepare you for bed.
“Festival website”:https://www.wickhamfestival.co.uk
