Beautiful Days Festival has announced its 2024 line-up, with names heading for East Devon including Richard Ashcroft, The Saw Doctors, Levellers, The Damned, Inspiral Carpets, Badly Drawn Boy and New Model Army.
This year’s festival’s dates are AUGUST 16-18, 2024, where scores of music lovers will head for East Devon for a packed line-up of fun and entertainment.
The three-day festival, at Escot, near Ottery St Mary, has music and entertainment over six stages plus walkabout theatre, site art, a huge children’s area, a vast selection of food and traders plus real ale bars.
The festival’s annual tradition of a colourful Sunday dress-up theme – which always produces some unique fancy dress and costumes – is yet to be announced.
Beautiful Days is the Levellers’ annual family music festival organised by Exeter-based DMF Music.
The organisers said Bell Tents and campervan passes have nearly sold out but there are still tipi or yurt options still available or general family camping.
The festival, launched in 2023, is set across acres of parkland at Escot, near Ottery, East Devon.
Headlining the Main Stage on Friday night are acclaimed Irish legends The Saw Doctors, who staged a comeback in 2023 after a five-year break in touring.
The festival’s Saturday headliner is two-time Ivor Novello winner Richard Ashcroft. Frontman with The Verve in the 90s.
Festival headliner Richard Ashcroft.
Photo: Dean Chalkley.
Levellers, as always, headline the Main Stage on the Sunday to close the weekend with a ‘hit-rich set’ followed by the traditional firework spectacular.
The band will also open the festival with a Levellers Collective acoustic set playing different arrangements of their songs including some released on recent album ‘Together All The Way’.
Headlining Friday night on the festival’s second stage, The Big Top, is Mercury and Brit Award nominee Richard Hawley.
Beautiful Days 2024 line-up.
Richard Hawley
Photo: Chris Saunders.
Badly Drawn Boy will perform at Beautiful Days 2024. Photo: with permission.
Headlining Saturday night are music legends Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp, who have been married for nearly 40 years.
Toyah and Robert.
Photo: with permission.
Sunday headliners in The Big Top are the original Cornish ‘buoy band’ The Fisherman’s Friends who have nine albums to their name, two feature films, a stage musical, a book, a TV documentary, plus they have played for royalty.
Fishermen’s Friends.
Image: with permission.
The Little Big Top plays host to System 7, legendary duo Utah Saints, DJ Rap and special guests King Kong Company plus Leroy Thornhill, Ragga Twins, Mr Bruce, The Nextmen Feat Jman, Gary Clail, Mark XTC, The Beatles Dub Club, Nick Coles, Up Bustle & Out, Hippo Sound System, Kaptin Barrett, The Reggaskas, DJ Ambiessence, Ladylmelza, Frankie G, Melosa, DJ Shinybeast, King Farmer, Big Fish Little Fish’s family rave and a Silent Disco.
Performing at the seated Theatre Tent is Circus Of Horrors, comedy from Paul Tonkinson, productions by Le Navet Bete, Rubbish Shakespeare Company and Under The Bed Theatre Company.
The line-up for The Bimble Inn and The Rebel Tent are still to be announced.
Pop-up folk/roots sessions will return in The Fiddler’s Arms curated by Geoff Lakeman.
And the festival also welcomes back The Magic Teapot – a unique amplifier-free, unprogrammed venue with a piano and a fire burning at its heart.
Full list of bands announced:
Main Stage
The Saw Doctors – Richard Ashcroft – Levellers – Fat Freddy’s Drop – The Damned – New Model Army – Hard-Fi – Inspiral Carpets – Cast – Lottery Winners – Third World – Pop Will Eat Itself – Dutty Moonshine Big Band – Dub Pistols – The Scratch – The Longest Johns – Thea Gilmore – Hotwax – Pale Blue Eyes – 3 Daft Monkeys – Pet Needs – Holy Youth Movement – The Gulls
The Big Top
Richard Hawley – Toyah&Amp; Robert – Fisherman’s Friends – Pokey Lafarge – Badly Drawn Boy – Stornoway – This Is The Kit – The Sharon Shannon Trio – Robyn Hitchcock – Le Vent Du Nord – Elles Bailey – Angeline Morrison – Grace Petrie – Police Dog Hogan – Chris While &Amp; Julie Matthews – Nick Parker &Amp; The False Alarms – Katherine Priddy – John Smith – The Magpie Arc – Gaz Brookfield &Amp; The Company Of Thieves – Wilswood Buoys – Guise – The Bar-Steward Sons Of Val Doonican’s Sunday Service – Levellers Collective
Lottery Winners.
Image: with permission.
The Little Big Top
System 7 – Utah Saints – Dj Rap – King Kong Company – Leroy Thornhill – Ragga Twins – Mr Bruce – The Nextmen Feat Jman – Gary Clail – Mark XTC – The Beatles Dub Club – Nick Coles – Up Bustle &Amp; Out – Hippo Sound System – Kaptin Barrett – The Reggaskas – Dj Ambiessence – Ladylmelza – Frankie G – Melosa – DJ Shinybeast – King Farmer – Big Fish Little Fish – Silent Disco
Theatre Tent
Circus Of Horrors – Paul Tonkinson – Le Navet Bete – Rubbish Shakespeare Company – Rachel Modest &Amp; D3 Present Women Of Soul – Jim Causley And Miranda Sykes Present Songs &Amp; Stories Of Sabine Baring Gould – Under The Bed Theatre Company – Entertainingly Different.
2023 festival-goers enjoying Sunday’s dress-up theme. Photo: East Devon News.
Photo: East Devon News.
Photo: East Devon News.
Photo: East Devon News.
Photo: East Devon News.
Photo: East Devon News.
Photo: East Devon News.
