Kentish Express Ashford & District - What's On
SUMMER SOUNDS
Your guide to all the main music festivals in the county
W hatever your taste in music, there is bound to be a festival for you to enjoy in Kent this summer. A host of new stars including Jessie J, Paloma Faith, The Wanted and Jessie Ware and legends such as Status Quo, Blondie and Tony Hadley will be heading down to the county over the next couple of months to perform at live music events. Among the festivals with a particularly stellar line-up is Music On The Hill at Kings Hill, near West Malling. The three-dayer will feature performances from Stooshe, Jools Holland, McFly, Peter Andre, Gareth Gates and Joe McElderry. And it is all raising money for some great young people’s charities – Demelza House, Teens Unite Fighting Cancer and the Children’s Development Trust. Some events have been lost, however, including the Hop Farm Festival, which has been taking place in the county for the past five years. Its future had been in doubt for some time but festival founder Vince Power spoke out in March, adamant that the sixth two-day event would definitely take place in July. But a subsequent buy-out of the Hop Farm Family Park and a music line-up including My Bloody Valentine and Rodriguez weren’t enough to secure it. Hevy Festival has also been cancelled. For the past three years the hardcore, punk and metal music event has been held at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, near Hythe. In April this year, festival director James Dutton said that Hevy was moving to a new venue in the county as it needed more space. But organisers revealed last week that due to licensing issues with the Kent site, they had abandoned plans to hold it in the county. Instead of a three-day camping event, it will now take place at the O2 Brixton Academy on Sunday, August 4. But there are still lots of festivals to choose from and you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy live music this summer. There are also some great free events around the county, including Ashford’s Create, headlined this year by 1990s pop band Dodgy and the Dartford Festival, taking place on Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21. Now in its 77th year, it is a free event in Central Park, which will feature a range of live music acts. The line-up is still to be announced. Visit www.dartford.gov.uk