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Forbes
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Also Festival UK: A Unique Weekend Of Ideas, Music, Wellness And Nature
Main stage at Also Festival, Warwickshire, England Christian Banfield Also Festival, in Warwickshire, England is the definition of a boutique cultural festival. The small-scale event (capacity is capped at around 2,000) has an intimate vibe with an emphasis on quality content over quantity. And there is plenty of space on Park Farm at Compton Verney, Warwickshire, so it never feels crowded. The 12th edition of Also, which ran for three days, July 11-13, 2025, was so popular that tickets for next year's festival are already on sale. The lake at Also Festival, Warwickshire, England Christian Banfield The festival offers music, art, science and psychology talks, food events, yoga, workshops and more and it's extremely family friendly. The festival aims to inspire experimentation, free-thinking and connection so it's no surprise that it has a groovy, chilled out vibe. It is set in landscape shaped by the famous 18th-century landscape architect, Capability Brown who also designed the grounds at Compton Verney Manor nearby. Lunch and wine tasting at Also festival, Warwickshire, England Christian Banfield Among the highlights of this year's festival were various feasts prepared by Chef James Whetlor of River Cottage in Devon; a bloody mary bar from Fortnum & Mason; a 'scented walk' where it was revealed that smelling lots of things each day may help ward off dementia; and talks by Robin Ince of BBC Radio's popular science show 'Infinite Monkey Cage' and James Payne of YouTube's top art channel, Great Art Explained in 15 Minutes. James Payne's book, based on the art channel, will be published this October. Many of the speakers had new books already out and these were on sale in a well-stocked bookshop on site. Also festival bar, Warwickshire, England Christian Banfield Writer and broadcaster Miranda Sawyer talked about the 'Soundtrack Of My Life,' highlighting her eclectic tastes based on her clubbing and festival days and her first job at the legendary Smash Hit s magazine. Prize-winning author Nick Couldry revealed the horror of Big Tech's data land-grab - exploiting our labor and connections and repackaging our information to control our views, track our movements, record our conversations and discriminate against us. Kit de Waal discussed her unforgettable and redemptive new book The Best Of Everything, a novel about how love can steal into our lives when we least expect it. Music was a big part of this edition of Also, with a crowd-pleasing gig from multi-instrumentalists Molotov Jukebox; pop songs from singer songwriter Madeleine MINX Dunbar and one of Denmark's wildest live bands, Smag På Dig Selv (SPDS) showcasing experimental drums and saxophones. Early morning yoga, a running club, paddle boarding and swimming in the lake is always popular and kept fitness fiends happy. The stately home Compton Verney, converted to house the Compton Verney Art Gallery. In Pictures via Getty Images And for an art fix, next door to the festival site is Compton Verney art gallery, in a former 18th-century Grade I listed manor house, built in 1714 by Richard Verney, 11th Baron Willoughby de Broke. The current exhibition How We Learn to Love (on until 5 October 2025) by Emma Talbot features sculpture, painting, animation, drawing and large-scale paintings on silk. The show includes Talbot's new installation ' The Tragedies' (2024), which draws on examples of tragedies, including the story of Medea – who killed her two sons as an act of revenge. The work is a reflection on the extent of unbelievable acts of aggression that exist in times of confrontation, such as the compulsion to kill to retain control. And in the main floor galleries, don't miss a recent acquisition for the permanent collection, 'Two Women Wearing Cosmetic Patches' (c.1655), an intriguing portrait of two unknown noble women, one white, one black, by an unknown artist. Where to Stay Walton Hall hotel, former home of Danny LaRue Walton Hall hotel If camping or glamping on the Also Festival site does not appeal, a fun alternative nearby is Walton Hall Hotel and Spa, part of which is the former home of legendary drag queen Danny LaRue. He famously said 'I've made a million, I've lost a million' and this house apparently did bankrupt him. Stay in the historic manor house which although slightly worn and faded, has plenty of character and vast rooms and suites overlooking lovely countryside. Also Festival 2026 Next year's Also Festival is July 10-12, 2026, Park Farm, Compton Verney, Warwickshire. Early bird tickets are already on sale, starting from £140 for adults.
BBC News
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Hastings comedy festival set to celebrate 10th anniversary
A comedy festival in an East Sussex town is celebrating its 10th Comedy Festival kicks off on Monday with dozens of performances over seven days including Seann Walsh, Lucy Porter and Robin event "showcases a large variety of professional comedians and emerging comics from around the UK and the world", organisers Chris Young and Jake Alexander said. The two friends who founded the festival in 2015, said it "united their passion for live comedy and the community of Hastings". They added: "Finding, supporting and promoting new comedy talent is at the core of our ethos of running the festival."If you're looking for the future bright stars of stand up comedy then Hastings is the festival showcase you really shouldn't miss out on."It promises to be an explosion of laughter."Dozens of shows will be performed at 15 different venues in Hastings and St Leonards throughout the festival runs until 15 June.
BBC News
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Latitude Festival welcomes new science arena to four-day event
One of the UK's biggest music and art festivals has announced it will have a science-focused arena during the four-day Latitude Festival is expected to welcome more than 40,000 people to Henham Park, near Southwold in Suffolk, between 24 and 27 new science area is called The Cosmic Shambles Forest of Science and Culture and has been curated by The Cosmic Shambles Network, which was founded by Robin Ince and Trent the forest there will be a science festival infused with a book club, comedy club, music and interactive museum. 'Genuine thrill' Organisers say the new arena will mark the first time something like this has been hosted at Latitude in the past 19 years. Melvin Benn, founder and director of Latitude Festival, said: "The addition of the Cosmic Shambles Forest to this year's Latitude Festival is a genuine thrill."There's nowhere else that brings together oceanographers, comedians, astrophysicists, musicians, poets, and puppet dogs in quite the same way. This is something truly special for 2025."Burton, the Cosmic Shambles Network producer and co-founder, said: "We're going to bring our unique Shambles flavour to the forest over the whole weekend."Helen Czerski is a physicist, oceanographer, author and a fan of the network. She said: "The audience at Latitude love new ideas, and are definitely up for satisfying their curiosity alongside getting their fill of music and sun."The science forest is set to explore a wide-range of topics such as climate science, horror cinema, particle physics, literature, neurodiversity, space exploration, mental health, and headliners for the festival have previously been announced as Sting, Fatboy Slim and Snow Patrol. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Warwickshire ALSO Festival announces line-up
A Warwickshire festival that promises a "magical and immersive experience" has announced its line-up and Festival is held at Park Farm, Compton Verney from 11 to 13 July and hosts a variety of events, activities and guests - ranging from literature to science and theme for its 12th event is Love and Horror, with 142 events being held over the names attending include comedians Dom Joly and Robin Ince, and musicians Molotov Jukebox. "As we've always known, to come together to go wild in the wild each summer is what we humans are built to do and a summer festival is an essential part of a year lived well," festival CEO and co-founder, Diccon Towns. Other notable guests include author Ella Berthoud, who will lead a guided Jane Austen tour, as well as a panel hosted by Paddington writer, Joel Morris. Stand-up comedian and writer, Athena Kugbleno will host a talk on misinformation, and comedian Rob Deering is set to host a music-based comedy pop acts will include Samba drumming workshop, Tribo, rapper Madeleine MINX Dunbar, and lead vocal coach for The Voice, Juliet this, there will be other activities including murder mystery games, run clubs, wild swimming, horror movie workshops and a bat walk. Mr Towns described the festival as "highly immersive, truly experiential, and highly curated"."We make it effortless for our guests to engage with big, life enhancing ideas and live a wild summer weekend in an extraordinary location." Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
