13 August 2017 (gig)
20 August 2017
As the story goes, the settlement of Boomtown has been host to an alien invasion, a revolt against a pseudo-communist autocracy and, this year, the rise of Bang Hai Industries – a seemingly benevolent corporation which has only but the purest of intentions for its populance (cough cough).
Yes, it’s easy to get lost in the madcap story of Winchester’s Boomtown Fair – almost as easy as it is to get physically lost in the festival itself. The bright lights, the sights and sounds. The curious alleyways that inexplicably lead to a full-on secret disco party.
While security measures did caused consternation among those trying to get into the festival, once inside, Boomtown more than made up for the inconvenience.
The muddy sludge caused by Wednesday’s incessant rain was allowed to dry over the course of the weekend, leaving many festival-goers rueing the day they chose to pack jumpers over sun cream.
From the sea-shanties of Old Town to the glitz and glamour of Mayfair. From the happy go lucky spirit of The Wild West, to the industrial dystopia of Sector 6, Boomtown’s scope is as wide as it is crazy.
Whether your idea of fun is escaping to the forest for a psy-trance rave or furiously skanking away to DnB, there is something for every music-lover across 20 stages of music and performance art.
A lot of effort goes into the preparation of this world. Boomtown’s emphasis on spectacle and story rather than mainstream acts make it distinct from conventional UK festivals.
That’s not to say there wasn’t any big draws.
Veteran ska and reggae acts including The Specials and Toots and the Maytals complemented the beautiful weather perfectly, while MIA and Cypress Hill similarly secured massive crowds in the Aztec jungle inspired Lion’s Den.
As the festival came to a resounding close late on Sunday night, people flocked back to their shoddy tents to hide in their sleeping bags and rip open their final sachet of cup-a-soup.
Until next year Boomtown. Until next year.
