OVER 100 performers, bands, artists, and speakers will take to the stage as festival Sunrise comes to the Frome area at the end of this month.

The festival, which hopes to attract up to 7,000 people, will be held at Thoulstone Park near Chapmanslade from Thursday 30th May – Sunday 2nd June.

Advertising itself as ‘the UK’s leading sustainable music and arts festival’, Sunrise: Another World will bring a variety of musical genres,  from top headline acts  on the main stage to smaller acoustic performances. Top acts include Dub Pistols, The Beat and Krafty Kuts. The family-friendly festival promises something for all ages including workshops, children’s activities, debates and talks, and arts and crafts activities.

Sunrise has run for seven years on sites near Yeovil and Bruton, and is re-incarnating the event on their new site (the former golf course in Thoulstone) as Sunrise: Another World.

The festival organisers say, “We are desperately looking forward to our first festival. Since the team behind Sunrise festival made Frome their home at the beginning of the year excitement has been buzzing through our town, with talk of huge headline acts, local bands, performance artists, wonderful children’s activities, environmental talks, ecological debates and much, much more. This is a festival not to be missed and for the lucky few there are still a few weekend local tickets on sale at The Cheese and Grain box office, along with some special discounts on Sunday tickets which are only £35.

“Families are hugely important to the team at Sunrise and, having been voted one of the best family festivals in the UK, it’s clear to see why with the wonderful range of activities we have on offer including: The LATE Club, Skate Ramp, Bouncy Castle, Pool tables, Forest school, craft workshops, treetop swings, fire temples, arts trails and much more!”

When the festival was announced, local residents raised concerns about noise, disruption, and traffic chaos. Although Wiltshire Council acknowledged the concerns, it said the issues had been ‘appropriately addressed’ in the festival’s management plan and granted a licence for the event.

Weekend tickets for the festival are still available from the website, and the festival will be offering transfers from Frome Railway Station. The festival is also offering local people the chance to buy Sunday day tickets for £35 from the Cheese and Grain.

Find out more at www.sunrisefestivals.co.uk

Music

A extensive line up includes: The Dub Pistols, The Beat, Jaymo & Andy George, The Neville Staple Band, Krafty Kuts, Gadjo, The Egg, Utah Saints, A Skillz, The Freestylers, Jfb Lou Rhodes (Lamb), Eat Static, Laughing Buddha, Andy Smith, The Drop, The Skints, Babyhead Youth (Killing Joke), E.V.P, Dj @War, Justin Harris, Featurecast, Gentle Mystics, Ranking Roger, Talisman, Daddy Nature (Dj Set), Dj Cheeba (Solid Steel), Basement Freaks, The Funk Hunters, The Captain, R.S.V.P, The Mad Cows, Celtech, Tallulah Rendall, The Brass Junkies, Coco & The Butterfields;

Monk3ylogic, Freerange Djs, Too Many T’s, John Stapleton, Ben & Lex, Dancefloor , Outlaws, Beardy (Weardy), Zetan Spore, Mechanimal, The Dirty Gentlemen, Gideon Conn, B-Side ,Dj P, Father Funk, Hong Kong Ping Pong, The Allergies, The Disablists, Goodgroove, Will Streetwise, The Inexplicables, Cosmo Sheldrake, Plucky Purcell, Mc Profit, Calico Jack, The Drystones, Will Varley, The Infinite Collective, Charlie Miller & The Soul Agents, Green Angels, Seize The Day;

Hoodwink, Colour, Sprocket, Drum Monkey, Re-Defeat, George Smerins, Dj Detta, Subliminal System, Dr Fish, The Smokestack Shakers, The 32:20’s, Forcenra, Carrie Tree Hattie Hatstar, Sashi And The Wild Beans, Susanna Waters, Swervy World, Carnivala! Peachy Farmer, What Flag, Kangaroo Moon, Ned The Kids Dylan;

Spinforth, Sammy Senior, Waggles, Wbbl, The Fritz,  J-Sound, Luke Stereo, Psy Gardener, Tetrasound, Simon Baring, Katty Grooves, Pieman, Gringo Ska, The Rinky Dinks, Kings Of Ping, Deejay Rockaphonic, Jimmy Danger, Insomniac Jack, Ushti Baba, Duncan Disorderly And The Scallywags, Jack Cheshire, Alfred, Robert Holmes, Stevie-Jo Dooley, Matthew J Young, Cley Hill Stompers, Djs Green & Fingers Organ3man, Mums Old Vinyl

Mikey, Perpetual Present, Psydwards, Opuspocus, The Duckworths, Geo, Stevie P Slightly Offensive Steve, String Thing, Organic Process, Mark Abis, Tim Manning .

Talks and debates

Aside from the music Sunrise: Another World is a place where great discussions about global issues take place, lively debates and wonderfully instructive seminars, which are always packed. The festival’s top ten picks are:

• Satish Kumar : Founder of Schumacher College and Resurgence Magazine. Ex-Jaine Monk. Inspiring speaker and wise elder. Speaking in the Green Talks Dome on Saturday Afternoon

• Graham Hancock: Fresh from his controversially censored TEDEX talk in London, Graham returns to Sunrise for the third time as part of the Psychic Lysurgery. See him speak on The War on Consciousness on Saturday Afternoon.

• Shane Hughes: Brilliant and Inspiring economist and activist from the Transition Movement. Shane is a key member of the Reconomy Project, an initiative to map and mould the new face of the collaborative economy. To be found in Groovy Movie on Saturday AM.

• Prof Marilyn Monk: Research scientist in the fields of molecular biology, early development and cancer. Broad-minded and deeply experienced, one of the world’s truly inspiring scientists. Speaking in the Psychic Lysurgery on Saturday.

• Donnachadh McCarthy: Award-winning eco-journalist, author, inspirational speaker and TV and Radio commentator. Ex-member of the Liberal Democrat executive committee and critic of the political agenda. Speaking in Groovy Movie on Friday afternoon.

• Amanda Feilding: Countess of Wemych and March and Drugs policy reformer. Founder of the Beckley Foundation. A scholar and global activist of great repute. To be found in the Psychic Lysurgery on Friday Afternoon

• Polly Higgins: Polly is an international environmental lawyer, barrister and initiator of Planetary Rights. Addressed the United Nations in 2008. Also founder of WISE – Women in Sustainability and the Environment. We’re honoured to host her. Speaking in the Green Talks Dome, Saturday PM.

• Natalie Bennett: Leader of the Green Party in England. Fresh from local election success, Natalie will speak about how Green politics have started to make an impact across all levels of the political spectrum. Speaking in the Green Talks Dome, Saturday PM

• Dr David Luke: Senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Greenwich and, until recently, President of the Parapsychological Association. Founder of the Breaking Conventions, the UK’s first academic conferences on drugs and psychedelics. Inspiring and amusing storyteller to be found hosting and speaking in the Psychic Lysurgery.

• Nicola Peel: Founder of Eyes of Gaia. Spent many years in the Amazon on variety of eco- and community projects. Worked on myco-remediation schemes in Ecuador – using fungi to clear oil spills. Incredibly inspiring individual. Speaking in the Green Talks Dome AND Groovy Movie.