The festival has been running at the South Downs site since 2011, located just outside Winchester in Hampshire. It stands out from other festivals with its curated storylines and lore which tells of aliens and dystopian megacorporations, the unique design of its stages and festival grounds, and its culture of inclusiveness. They draw all manner of alternative acts, primarily electronic, ska and reggae, with past headlining alumni including Gorillaz, Wu Tang Clan and The Specials.

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The atmosphere can only exist within the beautiful scenery of the South Downs woodland, which was designated national park status in 2010 and has been an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty since the 1960s. As such, the environmental impacts of a large-scale annual music festival in the region has attracted widespread criticism from conservation groups, as well as local residents who suffer from the noise pollution and traffic congestion.

 
The BBC heard from local Alisson Mathews, who lives 2 miles from the festival grounds, about her experience every August. She said she could hear the pounding bass and drum beats from Boomtown “almost constantly in our house and garden” and added “by Sunday night we are exhausted from the lack of sleep. I find it particularly disappointing to see the park authority failing its residents by ignoring its first purpose and doing nothing to encourage Boomtown to find an alternative venue outside the protected landscape.” The BBC’s article also quotes complaints from Christopher Langford, who objects to the use of the national park for the purpose, saying “national parks should be havens for nature, not environments damaged by large-scale music festivals.”

 
In order to continue their activity, Boomtown’s organisers have had to pledge to several new rules to protect the environment. A new meadow spanning 4.2 acres must be created to foster biodiversity at the site by South Downs Way, with protection for bats, barn owls, and other bird species native to the area. Additionally, they will be subject to independent ecological surveys every year to monitor impacts on wildlife like badgers, butterflies, birds and reptiles. NME referenced Councillor Janet Duncton, who spoke positively of Boomtown’s footprint in the region, saying “I’ve visited the site before, during and after the festival, and in my view it has been well managed. A lot of people get a great deal of pleasure from this, and don’t we all need a bit of that? I think five years is a perfectly reasonable time to allow them to continue.” Boomtown’s Director Shula Rael says “The people behind the festival understand the purpose of this park. We take those responsibilities seriously, and we deliver against them.”  

 

 

 

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Permission to hold the festival in its current state until 2030 was granted by South Downs National Park Authority, the body responsible for the park. It allows one Boomtown Festival event a year at Matterley Estate, up to a maximum of 75,999 attendants, and a further 1,000 for their Sunday. Boomtown’s co-founder Luke Mitchell has described this year’s festival as one that will “encapsulate everything we love: intricate film-set worlds, twisting storylines, bouncing dancefloors, and diverse expressions of music and art”

Boomtown Festival: Chapter Five runs from the 12th to the 16th of August 2026 in the South Downs National Park, with top-billing acts Kneecap, Scissor Sisters, Madness and Skrillex. Tickets are sold out, but fear not – the festival will return in 2027.

Banks was due to play at both Boomtown in Hampshire and London’s Maiden Voyage in early August. After a twitter tirade yesterday (June 25), it looks like she’s pulled out of both performances.

Writing on X/Twitter, Banks wrote: “So guys, I am cancelling Boomtown and Maiden Voyage, the promoters have been stressing me out for weeks trying to force me to say free Palestine and threatening to cut me from the bill because I won’t say free Palestine and I’m not dealing with the threats and I’m not putting on a f***ing hijab.”

So guys, I am cancelling Boomtown and Maiden Voyage, the promoters have been stressing me out for weeks trying to force me to say free Palestine and threatening to cut me from the bill because I won’t say free Palestine and I’m not dealing with the threats and I’m not putting on…

— Azealia Banks (@azealiaslacewig) June 25, 2025

“They’re both basically trying to extort me – by insinuating that I need to say I support Palestine or they will drop me from the gig BUT I would much rather drop them and not associate with anything that has cheap group think bulls**t attached to it.”

“If they want to allow some no-name dj’s to bully them into desecrating the nature of this music ecosystem and make ME the issue – whilst there being absolutely no ethical consumption under capitalism. Then that’s fine.”

“More thinly veiled racism And overt antisemitism from the f***ing gays for Hamas,” she concluded, before adding signing off: “#F***PALESTINE”.

Following her posts, Boomtown Festival have issued a statement to The Standard, saying: “Following her post on X in the early hours of this morning, we can confirm that Azealia Banks has withdrawn from the lineup and will no longer be performing at Boomtown Festival. For clarity, Boomtown does not and will never dictate the personal views and beliefs of performers.”

On both festivals Instagram accounts, they shared posts confirming the removal of Banks, while promising that a replacement artist would be announced shortly.

It seems that controversy is never far from Banks. She’s well known for her outspoken opinions and celebrity beefs. Earlier in the year, the ‘212’ rapper made headlines for criticising the Glastonbury 2025 line-up, calling out artists like Charli XCX and The 1975 – last year, she was embroiled in a twitter beef with the band’s frontman, Matty Healy, with the two musicians engaged in a bitter back-and-forth. You can read MXDWN’s coverage on that here.

The festival should see its usual array of storytelling, circus acts, actors and arts at this year’s festival with its incredible set design and production. Boomtown has won many awards including UK Festival Awards “Best Festival Production” in both 2022 and 2023, as well as “Transport Impact Innovators” in 2023. Boomtown was also picked as Major Events Summit’s “Best Non-Sporting Event” in 2023. It was also named by BBC Radio 1 as “Best Dance Festival UK & Europe” in 2023.

Boomtown is known for its quirky and extravagant production and stage design with there being eight distinct city districts with 12 main stages as well as over 50 hidden venues along with thousands of live performers and actors.

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Reggae royalty Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley is set to take the stage at Grand Central this year as well as 90s hip-hop legends The Pharcyde. 2023 Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective will also be bringing some jazz to this year’s edition of the festival. Swedish punk outfit Viagra boys are also playing Grand Central as well as internet sensation Marc Rebillet.

Kent duo Soft Play are set make an appearance on the Saturday (August 10) fresh of the back of the release of their newest album ‘Heavy Jelly’ which is their highest charting album yet reaching number 3 on the UK Album Charts. London based neo-soul singer Greentea peng is also going to play a set on Grand Central.

Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan are set to play as they are sure to bring the political themes to the festival as they partner up with Bristol producer Grove to perform on Grand Central. As well as this post-punk duo Sleaford Mods will be playing, showing the diversity of the festival and that it is not just all Drum and Bass.

Moving onto the Origin stage we are going to see Flava D, D&B trio Kings of The Rollers with Inja and P Money play the legendary stage on the Friday. 4AM Kru are sure to bring the energy on Saturday along with Simula and Sota expected to play some memorable Drum and Bass sets. On The last day we will see the icons that are Jungle Cakes take the stage with Ed Solo, Deekline, Benny Page, and Serial Killaz performing a back-to-back. Bou and Pendulum are also billed to perform on Origin.

Among the 100s of other performances across the various stages we will also see the likes of Hak Baker, grime legend D Double E, and Ross From Friends under the moniker Bubble Love. The Wrong Side of The Tracks stage will have Sully, Neff-T, Oppidan, Silva Bumpa, Aries and many more. TikTok sensation Fish56Octogan is also expected to make an appearance at Boomtown at Spectrum 360 as well as Samurai Breaks and Bish.

In a social media announcement, the group apologised for the cancellation, explaining that singer Maxim is recovering from a “temporary back injury” – a setback which gives them no other choice but to call off their next couple of live shows.

The official statement adds: “This isn’t a decision the band take lightly and they apologise to all fans who are travelling to these shows. We will update everyone on his progress and future shows as soon as possible.”

The Prodigy have unfortunately been forced to cancel their upcoming headline festival performances at Dreambeach (ES) and Boomtown (UK) under doctor’s orders, as Maxim recovers from a temporary back injury. pic.twitter.com/uiITsxhTcI

— The Prodigy (@the_prodigy) August 10, 2023

The Essex rave rockers were due to take to the stage at Dreambeach Festival in Spain on 11 August, before travelling to Winchester on 13 August for their first performance in the city since 1992. In their own statement, Boomtown Fair wrote:

“There is no easy way to say this. We have just been made aware The Prodigy can no longer play at Boomtown 2023. […] We and the band are gutted and know you will be feeling the same. We are now working hard to bring this iconic band to Grand Central next year at Boomtown 2024. Until then we send Maxim our love and wish him a smooth recovery.”

Electronic duo Chase & Status have now been slated for headline replacement.

The last-minute withdrawal brings unfortunate news for Prodigy fans, many of whom would have been happy to have secured tickets to see a band that has, in recent years, spent less time on the road. The tragic passing of former member Keith Flint in 2019 coupled with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a three-year touring hiatus, with the group finally returning to the stage in mid-2022. 

Earlier this year, The Prodigy released a four-track remix EP in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their groundbreaking third studio album, The Fat Of The Land. Upon its original release in 1997, the now-iconic LP – which contains hits such as “Firestarter” and “Breathe” – quickly topped charts worldwide, and has sold over 10 million copies to date. 

Check out Mefjus & Camo & Krooked’s remix of “Breathe” below:

Provided Maxim makes a speedy recovery, the band are set to play headline sets at a number of other festivals this Summer, before embarking on their Army Of The Ants tour in November.

See below for UK dates:

16/11/2023 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow
17/11 – AO Arena – Manchester
18/11 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
20/11 – Brighton Centre – Brighton
21/11 – International Arena – Cardiff
23/11 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham 
24/11 – Alexandra Palace – London

Get tickets here.

Boomtown hosts 66,000 people, employs over 13,000 staff members – including contractors, artists and traders – and, in 2018, the festival had an economic contribution of over £25m. Boomtown director, Anna Wade, stated: ‘We are devastated that we will no longer be holding Boomtown this year. With less than four months to go until the event, and after almost half a year of collective campaigning to the government, sadly Covid-specific cancellation insurance simply does not exist. This means anyone putting on an event this year, will have to do so without the safety net of insurance to cover them should a decision by the government on Covid prevent them from going ahead in any capacity. 

‘For an independent event as large and complex as Boomtown, this would mean an eight-figure sum gamble, risking our future as a festival if we were to proceed and then not be able to go ahead if more restrictions were placed by the government due to Covid.’ She continued: ‘Whilst the government roadmap remains on track, the one thing preventing organisers of events and festivals committing to deposits for the vital suppliers, including freelancers and production companies, is a government-backed insurance scheme. This is not an ask for money, but a call for commitment to support and provide a safety net to organisers who want to plan and run a safe event this summer and will only be required if an event is cancelled due to Communicable Disease restrictions imposed by government.’

The event was supposed to happen on August 11-15, but has now been postponed to August 10-14, 2022. 

 

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The hearing will begin at 10am and stream live on parliamentlive.tv, with Parklife co-founder Sacha Lord and Boomtown Communications and Strategy Director Anna Wade appearing to speak along with CEO of UK Music Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, CEO of the AIF Paul Reed and the General Secretary of the AFO Steve Heap.

According to a press release, they will explore the requirements “for UK-based music festivals to survive the impact of Covid-19 and the health and financial barriers to planning festivals in 2021.” Many other festivals and venues have been attempting to find strategies to manage the virus and still hold events, including Glastonbury and Primavera.

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Usually held in South Downs National Park in August, Boomtown posted to their Instagram last week to celebrate the new year, writing, “The dawn of 2021 is a chance to allow real and tangible change to take place; towards a better planet and care for all living things.” This year’s five-day event will run from 11th-15th August. In Parklife’s last Instagram post on 7th December 2020, they explained that they have moved their weekend dates to 11th and 12th September, to allow them time to plan. They assured fans that “a huge lineup is almost ready, that we can’t wait to show you in January. Trust us when we say it’s going to be worth the wait.”

 

 

 

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Boomtown Festival, a 66,000 capacity event, is held annually at the Matterley Estate near Winchester. Further acts billed include Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley, Mura Masa, Kelis, Squarepusher, Orbital and Kool & The Gang.

So, it’s a lengthy lineup, with Shy FX, Noisia, Andy C, Angerfist, and Skindred also billed. Plus, drum ‘n’ bass legends Pendulum will be presenting Pendulum Trinity, an entirely new show for the 2020 run. Have a gander at who else is featured to perform below. It’s fair to say, there’s a lot going on.

It’s a lot to look forward to, and the Hampshire festival’s twelfth year doesn’t appear to disappoint. For ticket and further information on Boomtown Fair, check out the link here.

Described as a “new multi-stage spectacular”, Boomtown 2020 introduces the brand-new “State Of Emergency”, an immersive theatrical experience. Check out the trailer at the link at the bottom of this story.

Last year’s 2019 run of Boomtown was called The Radical City. It featured performances from Ms. Lauryn Hill, Prophets Of Rage, The Streets and UB40. Plus, Dance acts Chase & Status and Groove Armada also performed. Little Simz, Slowthai and Atari Teenage Riot further featured.

Top acts will include Ms Lauryn Hill with rock-rap supergroup Prophets of Rage, who combine members from Rage Against the Machine, Cypress Hill and Public Enemy, pioneers of alternative hip-hop meets garage The Streets, and drum and bass royalty Chase and Status with their RTRN II JUNGLE takeover. Other major acts which have been confirmed for the 5-dayfestival are British electronica duo Groove Armada, female rap crew Salt-N-Pepa, and reggae band UB40 ft. Joining these are Ali Campbell and Astro, unapologetic punk from Slaves and the very welcome return of the riotous Gogol Bordello for their third appearance at Boomtown.

Commenting on the announcement, a Boomtown organiser said: “This is by far the most eclectic and diverse line-up we’ve ever had, it’s even more ‘Boomtown’ than ever before. There is something really special about completely different artists, who are at the top of the genre they represent all together on the same bill. It feels like a true privilege to be able to introduce thousands of people to a huge amount of totally different music from all over the world and the entire spectrum of musical tastes.”

Performing on the main live stages in the Town Centre, Whistlers Green and Copper County districts will be Swedish electronic quartet Little Dragon, multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd; poet, rapper, playwright and novelist Kate Tempest and Canadian influenced Bedouin Soundclash.

In Hangar 161, the district’s squatted ex-military aerodrome, expect energetic crust-punk from Leftöver Crack, pioneering dub punk from Inner Terrestrials and hardcore punk from Russia’s The Svetlanas and Siberian Meat Grinder as well as the return of Moscow Death Brigade with their unique politically charged blend of techno, rap and punk. The brand new techno focussed district, ‘AREA 404’, will host some of the genres most influential figures with headliners including Amelie Lens and FourTet and techno-house founding father Carl Cox.

At the Metropolis district, the main house and disco stage, Horse Meat Disco return to the festival on Saturday alongside Mighty Mouse and The 2 Bears. On Sunday, Patrick Topping makes his Boomtown debut with a world exclusive all day long set, with closing show appearances from garage and bassline producer Flava D.

Boomtown has said that the 2019 festival will include its biggest drum and bass lineup so far with the likes of Bad Company UK, Meftjus and Break all performing across its two main stages. Other DnB allstars across the weekend include Calyx & Teebee, Black Sun Empire, Total Science b2b DLR as well as Boomtown favourites My Nu Leng returning for the Sunday night closing set.

Emily Ford Sustainability Coordinator at Boomtown, said: “It’s about the bill. We deliver a headline line up that guarantees artists from international superstars through to grassroots talent. It’s a programme that takes the public on a musical journey of discovery that isn’t found anywhere else.”

Image taken by Mike Massaro at Chris Lorenzo’s 2018 Boomtown set.

Boomtown is one of the UK’s largest independent music festivals, with over 500 artists from over 80 subgenres performing across its 27 stages. Drumcode will host Area 404’s new mega stage Nucleus on Friday, August 9 and Bugged Out will host celebrations on Saturday, August 10.

This year’s festival will take place on Matterley Estate in Hampshire on August 7-11 2019. The five-day festival is known for its musical diversity, immersive theatrics and for following a themed storyline which is spread across all 14 of Boomtown’s districts.

The festival will host a multitude of genres such as reggae, punk, metal, ska, house, techno, disco, folk, acoustic, world, funk and soul, tropical, electro swing, balkan, hip hop, bassline, grime, jazz, soul, bass, electronic, hardcore tekno, gabba, breakcore, DNB, jungle and dub.

Hundreds of actors will also be implemented throughout the grounds of Matterley Estate with the aim of enhancing the customer experience of thousands of festival-goers.

A spokesperson said: “Actors bring the film-like street sets to life and alongside enjoying the extraordinary musical programme. They encourage the public to explore all the city has to offer, to become their inner character and be a part of the story themselves.”

The Hampshire-based festival will also feature 80 interactive street venues and will focus on improving its impact on the environment, having grown from 1,000 to 66,000 capacity.

A spokesperson added: “Our main priority for this year is to focus fully on what we can do within the festival and our audience reach, we have been completely rethinking the event in
every aspect to radically reduce the impact.

“For 2019 and beyond, we are putting the imminent environmental crisis front and centre of our messaging and deep into the fabric of our event planning and infrastructure.”

The festival is addressing campsite waste, transportation and fuel emissions, single-use plastic eradication and consumer behaviour.

The spokesperson added: “One of the main missions we’re on is to inspire change in ourselves and everyone in
attendance at the festival to ensure that, together, as one huge community, we can do everything in our power to halt the devastating outlook for all life on this planet. Together, we really can make the difference that is so urgently needed.”

Adult tickets are priced at £229, whilst teens can scoop them cheaper at £196.50 and children 12 and under can go for free. For more details visit https://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/

The Boomtown Festival runs for four days at the Matterly Estate in Hampshire from the 7th to the 12th of August, has announced a new techno district. Boomtown is made up of 14 different districts that aim to follow a storyline that has been evolving over the past 10 years. The organisers hope to create a totally unique experience, bringing in hundreds of actors to bring their film-like sets to life. Each year Boomtown has a new chapter, and 2019 will be called Chapter 11: A Radical City. There is an ongoing story line, which festival goers are encouraged to take part in and get involved with a theatrical style experience.

The festival has been running now since 2009, combining music with theatre, and interactive sets. Area 404, one of the fourteen districts, will welcome headliners Four Tets, Carl Cox and Amelie Lens to the new nucleus stage. Welcoming for the first time techno, at the festival. Bugged Out will headline on Friday, with Carl Cox taking centre stage on Saturday, followed by Drumcode on Sunday. Other acts announced include Eats Everything, Claude Vonstroke, Dense & Pika, Sama’, Enrico Sangiuliano  and Skream. Social media comments have been positive, showing that the line-up choices have been popular among fans of the independent festival.

The festival’s main stage, known as the Town Centre, is said to be the most extravagant stage setup of all the UK festivals, with exciting visual displays, pyrotechnics and dazzling performances. The festival has four main areas: Hilltop, Downtown, Whistlers Green and Temple Valley. Across the four areas the 14 smaller districts are formed around a unique theatrical identity.  

2019’s overall lineup is yet to be announced, but looking at the 2018 acts there is a lot to be excited about. This year acts were varied, with performances from artists such as the Gorillaz, Jimmy Cliff, Purple Disco Machine, Level2, Spice, Morcheeba, Limp Bizkit, Shy FX, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, and hundreds more, 2019 is unlikely to be anything less than eclectic and exciting.

The new nucleus stage is presumed to be replacing the fallen Bang Hai Towers. In line with the Boomtown sustainability ethos, the nucleus stage is likely to be built using and recycling the rubble of the old frame of Bang Hai Towers.

 Boomtown organisers are fierce about protecting the environment, asking festival goers to “respect yourself, respect each other and respect your city”. The Boomtown respect yourself campaign has been hugely popular. As the festival is held within the South Downs National park, everybody in attendance is asked to use public transport, to take their tents home, and recycle any rubbish. This breeds a sense of conscientious party going, which is vital in the festivals future of being sustainable.

The remaining acts will be announced starting from the 8th of February 2019. To purchase your tickets please visit Boomtown Festival