Marvellous Festival

2 days of family fun and tribute bands in a new site.

The Big Kids’ Village, now a regular feature, has something for everyone.  Here you’ll find Circus Skills Workshops, Drama & Dance Sessions, Arts & Crafts, Face Painting, Mask Making and Balloon Modelling – with some of the activities being free of charge.  There are also other activities available at an additional charge such as fairground rides, Zorb balls, climbing wall, etc.

Tickets can be purchased via the website www.marvellousfestivals.com or by calling 0118 977 4350.

Camping is available, but you need to purchase a comping ticket in addition to your festival ticket. Camping tickets are valid for one, two or three nights. The cost is the same no matter how long you stay.

Campers can arrive from midday on Friday, and will be allowed access to the concert arena that evening for a pre-festival ‘soiree’ with the Marvellous crew. The bar and concessions will be open and entertainment will be laid on in the second stage marquee.

Festival tickets must be purchased in addition to your camping tickets.

Festival Kidz caught up with Peter Lincoln, one of the owners of the company behind Marvellous and singer with The Sweet (the hugely popular 70s band), for a quick chat about the festival, music and kids:

Pete, you spend most of your time up North or touring all over Europe, yet you manage to organise a very successful festival each year.  Does the distance make working together with Steve [the other owner based in Berkshire] difficult?

It has certain drawbacks but the world is such a small place these days and communication so easy that it all seems to work just fine.  Plus. . . it stops us from killing each other!

It’s been a challenging year for live music and many festivals are struggling in the current economic climate – how are ticket sales going for you?

Ticket sales are up on last year by around 20% and we’re absolutely delighted with that!

So what’s the key to your success?  What sets you apart from other festivals?

Ours is very much a family event with loads of free activities in The Big Kids’ Village.  Everything from face painting, dance and drama workshops, circus skills, obstacle courses, etc.  Plus this year we have the EA HUB coming, with opportunities for gamers to play the latest games in HD, explore their ‘inner geek’ and maybe win some prizes.

Had you planned for Marvellous to be so family-oriented from the outset or has it just naturally evolved into a family event over time?

It kind of evolved in the first instance but it’s definitely something we’ve actively nurtured and promoted in the last five years or so.

So do you think the rising trend of young children attending festivals with their parents is a good thing?

Yes – I think it’s great for kids to be exposed to some real live music and see that there’s life outside of X-Factor and Britain’s Got Talent!  It’s also good for them to be involved with large events with a safe environment and where they get to experience such a great communal sense of fun.

Were you able to see musicians play live while you were growing up?

“I grew up in Newcastle and the first real live band I ever saw was The Who in 1969 at The City Hall.

Pop and Rock music was a huge part of my life but little did I realise in those days – watching The Sweet on TV that I’d one day be fronting the band and travelling the globe!

When did you realise music would always be a part of your life?

“My parents were both musical started me off playing the piano when I was 8.  Aged 11, I picked up the guitar for the first time and never looked back.  

I still get a huge buzz out of music – whether I’m playing it or hearing a great song for the first time.  

I love the fact that there’s such a diverse array of talent out there and that the rise of the web and iTunes etc has made it so easy for artistes to be heard.  

I’ve just released an album of acoustic-driven tracks entitled Under Cover which is available online from my website at www.petelincoln.com

So was it your parents who encouraged you to become a professional musician?  

“Well – they always wanted me to play music but I don’t think they realised what a Pandora’s box they were opening up.  

Launching into music as a career was not something they (or my school for that matter) were geared up to help with, and, unlike today, there weren’t the courses available to cater for people like me.  So – it was “jump in and sink or swim!” – Luckily, I’m still afloat!”

Which act are you most looking forward to at Marvellous 11?

“Well – it’s a few years since we had The Counerfeit Stones on our stage so I’m looking forward to welcoming them back.

We also have a stunning Michael Jackson sound-alike on the bill so I’m intrigued to see how he works the Marvellous crowd.”

And finally, what would be your top tip for families?

Quite simply –  the whole thing is Marvellous! 😉

 www.marvellousfestivals.com