Popular music festival Bestival has announced a new maritime-themed arena to celebrate 10 years of the music and dance show on the Isle of Wight.
Louise Roberts on Bestival’s Main Stage in 2011
BBC Radio 1 DJ Rob da Bank, who grew up in Warsash, was delighted to announce the new arena called The Port which will boast state-of-the art sound, hi-tech lasers, LED screens and a boatload of pyrotechnics exploding from HMS Bestival’s funnels.
Festival-goers can head to The Port, which is a landlocked harbour with HMS Bestival as its centrepiece, surrounded by a pier, nautical sideshows that will have all the action of a bustling port.
DJs will man the bridge, steering the ship through day and night of techno and house, with many of the world’s leading artists playing onboard this hyperreal ship.
“I’m probably more excited about this new stage for Bestival than anything else in the last decade of creating fun and mental spaces for people to party on,” said Rob.
“We’ve got a tree you can rave inside, a forest with films and a giant metal spider that breathes fire, but we’ve never had a life-sized ship transmitting the best techno and house DJs across the waves while lasers strafe the crowd and a lighthouse booms its foghorn.
“This whole new field is going to be an all-night maritime adventure with dirty little rum bars, enticing brothels and sea shanties ringing out from random sailor-folk in every corner. It’ll have crazy aerial displays and a bucketload of pyro that will blow your mind – it’s the dance arena to end all dance arenas and it’s gonna go off. If you want to know where the party’s at, it’s at The Port.”
The 24 metre long ocean-going liner will include well-known artists, with the likes of Annie Mac Presents (AMP), Plastikman’s Richie Hawtin, Toddla T Sound, Kiss FM’s DJ EZ, hirsute duo The 2 Bears, Jaguar Skills and Bestival favourites Phat Phil Cooper & Russ Cuban.
Saturday’s headliner Annie Mac said: “We’re so happy to be back at Bestival for 2013 and bringing AMP to the all-new Bestival Port stage.
“We’ll be bringing proper party carnival vibes through Toddla T Sound, as well as showcasing brand new talent from the likes of Cyril Hahn. AMP at Bestival 2013 is looking forward to offering up one of the most skilled and fun line-ups of DJs we’ve ever had, DJs who will no doubt provide you with many a special Bestival moment.”
Expect a helter skelter, dancing sailor boys and girls on podiums, unbelievable pyrotechnics, sparkle, flame and fire effects.
Don’t forget there will be amazing performances from the legendary Elton John, Snoop Dogg, M.I.A, The Flaming Lips, Bombay Bicycle Club and many more.
For more details and tickets visit the 2013 Bestival site here.