Town to host first throwback festival
Big name music stars, including Tinchy Stryder, So Solid Crew, and Artful Dodger will perform at the first Wiltshire Throwback Festival this year.
The 18+ festival will take place at Oakfield stadium, Melksham, from 20 -21 June.
An application for the two-day festival was approved by Wiltshire Council's licensing sub committee on Wednesday, after other organisations withdrew their objections.
Nico Menghini, co director of festival organisers Jarboom told the Local Democracy Reporting Service "We're ecstatic, especially considering the amount of work we've put in to satisfy the authorities."
More news stories for Wiltshire
Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire
Wiltshire Highways and Wiltshire Police had expressed concern about congestion and parking. The police also said the organiser's security plans were insufficient and there was no drugs or alcohol management plan.
Melksham Town Council had also said that they were worried about the noise it would create.
In response, the festival directors submitted plans drawn up by professional consultants, including medical assessment, fire risks, noise management, drugs and alcohol, waste management and security.
Mr Menghini said they were "very close" to selling out the 3,000 tickets allocated for each day and "we're already in the early planning stages for year two".
"We went with the throwback theme because everyone loves a bit of nostalgia and being reminded of happier times," he said.
Friday's line-up includes Liz Mitchell - one of the original singers Boney M - along with ska band Bad Manners, glam rockers Doctor and the Medics, and 80s kids TV star Timmy Mallet.
On Saturday, the line-up includes 80s and 90s chart-toppers from the hip-hop, R&B and UK garage scenes, including So Solid Crew, Tinchy Stryder, Artful Dodger, and Blazin' Squad. Boyband 911 are also on the bill, while early 2000s TV presenters Dick & Dom will be DJing.
"Dick & Dom especially were a no-brainer for me – I knew I had to have them at the first festival," Mr Menghini said.
Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.
Thousands party at Shindig festival's new venue
What's on at the new-look Shindig Festival?
Sports clubs hope to host festivals at stadium
Wiltshire Throwback Festival
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
an hour ago
- Wall Street Journal
Donald Trump vs. Bruce Springsteen
Opening his 'Land of Hope and Dreams' tour in Manchester, England, New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen called the Trump administration 'corrupt, incompetent and treasonous.' To be fair, Europeans are used to these kinds of leaders. President Trump fired back, calling Mr. Springsteen 'a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden' and a 'dried out 'prune' of a rocker.' A billionaire slap-fest! I'm claiming authority on this matter, as I did shots of Old Grand-Dad with Mr. Springsteen on his 35th birthday at Big Man's West in Red Bank, N.J. As with this feud, I wasn't invited. I just happened to be there. Sure, both men think they're the boss, but it's more than that. Truth be told, Mr. Trump has been playing to Mr. Springsteen's original audience for quite a while. Think downtrodden, desperate, struggling, working class—though Springsteen fans are more likely middle-aged folks absolving their guilt through music, thankful they didn't grow up that way. 'Workin' in the field / You get your back burned / Workin' 'neath the wheels / You get your facts learned.' Anyway, the psyche fits the MAGA crowd, minus 50 years. No wonder these guys are feuding. Mr. Springsteen had the perfect invented persona in the 1970s and '80s—as we emerged with fits and starts from an industrial era to a digital age, Slate called him an 'endearing Jersey wharf rat.' His music was rebellious. Nonconformist. 'I hid in the clouded wrath of the crowd / But when they said, 'Sit down,' I stood up.' Have problems? Just jump in your 'chrome-wheeled, fuel-injected' Chevy and roar down the highway 'jammed with broken heroes.' No one actually did this, but it felt good to think about. Now we doom-scroll instead.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lisa Hogan reveals why Jeremy Clarkson hasn't proposed to her yet
Lisa Hogan has revealed why Jeremy Clarkson hasn't proposed to her yet. The pair star on Prime Video hit show Clarkson's Farm which showcases life on Diddly Squat farm in Chadlington Oxfordshire. Former Top Gear and The Grand Tour host Jeremy Clarkson has owned the spot since 2008 with four series of the programme to date. The fourth of these is currently mid-release with six episodes available to stream on Prime Video and two further to be released on Friday (June 6). READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson pays Richard Hammond £20,000 in TV reunion Ms Hogan began dating Mr Clarkson in 2017 after the pair met at a party and she features in the show. "It was quite a long courtship, as I didn't know where he was in his life," she previously told The Times. "And I wasn't ready to start dating again; didn't want to go out with anyone. "He had to court me for three months." Despite being in a relationship for nine years, the couple are yet to get married with no proposal from the TV host as of yet. READ MORE: Emma Watson joins Oxford University rowing team and loses three races Jeremy Clarkson and Lisa Hogan have been together since 2017. (Image: Andrew Matthews / PA) Both have been married in the past with Mr Clarkson with Alexandra James from 1989 to 1990 and then Frances Cain from 1993 to 2014. Ms Hogan was with Steven Bentinck from the 1990s to 2005. They have three children each from these past relationships too with Mr Clarkon dad to daughters Emily and Katya, and son Finlo, Ms Hogan also has two daughters and a son, called Elizabeth, Alice and Wolfe. In a new interview with the Daily Mail, the 51-year-old hints that she's not truly "bothered" that her boyfriend has not yet proposed. READ MORE: Taylor Swift 'books £3.3m Oxfordshire cottage' in the Cotswolds The couple star on Prime Video show, Clarkson's Farm. (Image: Prime Video) Instead, she says that they both seem content with "being together 24/7" and adds that their children get on well. In the past when talking about marriage to Mr Clarkson, the topic has been dismissed such as in a previous report by Belfast Live. Lisa previously addressed the issue of marriage when questioned by Fabulous Magazine earlier this year. "Mrs Clarkson? No, thank you, I like Lisa Hogan," she said. READ MORE: Billie Piper becomes new Doctor Who after Ncuti Gatwa regeneration Flash Sale Alert! 🌟 Dive deeper into the stories that shape Oxfordshire with Oxford Mail. Unlimited local news, an ad-free app, and a digital replica of our print edition—all with 80 per cent fewer ads on our site. 🗞️ 👇#StayInformed — Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) May 26, 2025 "We decided not to have children together. We're at a stage where we are not going to have kids. "I'm just happy pootling along. I think because of our age, it's much easier. You go: 'God, is it you I end up with? OK, that's it.' "But it's relaxing knowing you are not going to be with anybody else. It gives you a certain amount of liberation." Mr Clarkson revealed last year that a fifth series of Clarkson's Farm has been confirmed for which filming has already started.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sir Chris Hoy says raising awareness of prostate cancer has given him purpose
Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy has say that raising awareness of prostate cancer has given him purpose. The 11-time world champion track cyclist and six-time Olympic gold medallist revealed his diagnosis last year. Now, he has turned his hand to campaigning, urging more men to be aware of the dangers of the disease. He works alongside Prostate Cancer UK, which provides an online risk-checking tool that has been used by more than 180,000 men. Chris said: 'That campaign has saved lives. "You know, in all the chaos and all the fear and all the horror of first being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, you can never imagine any positive outcome coming from that situation. 'So to know that there is one has given me a purpose. 'In difficult moments you remind yourself, actually there is a net positive from this whole situation. And I'm lucky because I have a platform.' READ NEXT: 'The best is yet to come': Popular cocktail lounge in Glasgow wins top award Chris revealed that his Instagram inbox is 'stacked' with men saying news of his diagnosis had spurred them to get tested and they had managed to catch it early. 'That gives me a huge lift,' he told the Sunday Times. (Image: Picture from Martin Rickett/PA Wire)READ NEXT: Football club attended by Premier League star says pitch costs have 'easily doubled' Since his own diagnosis, it was announced his wife Sarra had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Asked about his wife's illness, Sir Chris says she 'doesn't talk about it a massive amount'. He continued: 'I think she's just determined to try and not allow it to get its feet under the table. 'It fluctuates, so she gets good days and bad days. 'When the days are difficult, she doesn't ever admit to it, but clearly the thoughts are, 'is this the start of a decline? Is this how it's going to be from now on?' 'It's very difficult, and she's so stoic and strong, and not willing to ask for sympathy.'
