Woodbridge Festival Celebrates Success For 12th Year
Woodbridge Festival of Art and Music is celebrating another year of long-running successes for its flagship festival weekend, with this year’s day and night events being packed with joyful audiences, plus the festival’s biggest line-up of stars from film, TV, literary and arts worlds – and the usual big names in music.
The 2024 Festival Weekend saw four days of events in Elmhurst Park, Whisstock’s Place, The Riverside, Bell and Steelyard, 1975, Hopsters Woodbridge and venues around town.
Alongside the familiar roster of international names in music, underground music scene pioneers and local musicians and DJs, this year saw TV presenters, best selling authors and TV and film stars revealing alternative talents.
Million plus selling author Louis de Bernieres made a rare appearance as a songwriter and poet, singing and playing guitar with a violinist. TV and Radio presenter Katie Puckrik launched her new compilation album ‘Yacht Rock Odyssey’ (released over the festival weekend) with a DJ set overlooking the Tide Mill and marina on the River Deben.
TV and film actor Ben Miles, got the park dancing, returning to his pre-acting career as a DJ. Live Detroit techno duo, Sons of Slough, made one of only two UK festival appearances this year. Les Spaine, former head of Motown Records UK and the godfather of UK funk DJs, packed dancers into the Riverside club event.
Mi Soul presenter Abi Clarke and Sid Le Sarge stunned a packed crowd at the Bell and Steelyard with their heavy duty dance-all-night dub sets and Dave Jarvis, of London’s notorious Faith outfit, joined the disco house dots in the Park. Other highlights included Simon Lee, and Heavenly Social’s Carl Gosling and Sophie Green playing an eclectic set that ranged from Country to Electro.
Woodbridge Festival founder and DJ Ben Osborne played pop-up sets to close Friday and Saturday nights, while ICR favourite Daddy Turbo unleashed his deep reggae knowledge and Transient radio’s head boy, Bobby Bucys, joined North London’s Itchy Soul crew for a packed night at 1975.
Local singers Pop Chorus brought the Park to life on Saturday morning and local live rocking act JS & The Lockerbillies and the Ozzie Henry Experience demonstrated the strength of Suffolk’s home grown bands.
The Make & Do sessions included screen print your own festival souvenir T-Shirts and bags, badge making, clay monsters (and fairies), recycled crafts and more, led by cross-platform community artist and festival arts curator Alice Stallard and textiles artist Claire Hardaker.
The popular community Arts Area workshops were busy throughout with weaving, art trails, Make and Do sessions, the Kids Zone, Eco Zone, Wellness Area, with massage, herbal medicines and treatments, and Drum Workshops
The Kids zone included Family Yoga with Emmakyoga, Glitter Tattoos, Giant games with 5th Woodbridge Sea Scouts and the ‘Family Read and Chill’ zone with Suffolk Building Society. The Choose Love heart trail around the festival site and ‘take your insta selfies surrounded by love’ took their theme from the newly installed permanent Choose Love mural by the park entrance.
The Food Village featured Delroy’s Caribbean Grill House, Korean Kitchen, Eastern White Horse, Tipsy Bubbles, Saltpeter, Mr Bees Brewery and Suffolk Coffee Pod and more.
This year the Wellness area included plants from Katie’s garden, free massages, practical exhibitions on subjects such as how to make Kombucha, Yoga and Qi gong classes, meet the practitioner, Complimentary Chinese herbal tea and herbal tincture medicines for sale.
The festival is supported by public bodies and private enterprises, these include Mediterranean Shipping Company, Suffolk Building Society, East Suffolk Council, Woodbridge Town Council, Suffolk Digital, Grove Court and The Natural Health Centre.