Blues on the Farm

The Award-Winning Big Mid-Summer Music Festival in West Sussex

"The Friendliest Festival in the U.K." … Sunday Times

Blues on the Farm 2011 - Our 20th Anniversary Festival - has been and gone! It was another terrific festival - Very many thanks to all the bands, to everyone in the festival organising team and to you, the audience, who came along to enjoy the festival!

If you have comments to make or any photos you wish to put up, please go to the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=67510847330&v=info

This website will remain showing all the 2011 stuff until later in the year when we begin updating for 2012. The provisional dates for Blues on the Farm 2012 are 22nd to 24th June 2012.

The festival runs from Thursday 16^th to Sunday 19^thJune, with a revamped schedule to ensure each day offers you a full and varied line-up of bands and musicians, the 2011 timings are planned to run as follows:

Friday 17^th June 1.00 pm to 12 midnight
Saturday 18^th June 12 noon to 12 midnight
Sunday 19^th June 12 noon to 10pm

On the evening of Thursday 16^th June there will be pre-festival 'Beer Tent Sessions' from 7.30 pm to 12 midnight.

For our 20th Festival, Friday will be the first full day and will be extended with a much earlier start. We have 20 acts across the three-day festival, with 6 or 7 bands each day, to ensure a very special 20^th anniversary line-up.

Walter Trout Voted 'Best British Blues Festival 2010' in the British Blues Awards, our festival is staged in a 40 acre setting on the Sussex Coastal plain a couple of miles south of Chichester. Blues on the Farm has a big reputation for presenting high quality muisic from World-class musicians, in a family friendly, safe and relaxed festival atmosphere. The festival is privately run so the primary objective is to stage high quality music from world-class musicians, in a warm and friendly festival atmosphere.

A couple of years ago the festival was featured in The Sunday Times who dubbed it “The friendliest festival in the UK”; while The Independent has also reported very favourably on the festival, highlighting in particular the “astounding precision” of the event’s organization!

The Music

Gary Brooker

We're announcing the programme of bands as they are confirmed. For our 20th Anniversary Blues on the Farm, we're thrilled to have two top acts to head our Friday and Saturday line-ups.

Firstly, we’re really excited to be welcoming Gary Brooker (Procul Harum) and his 'No Stiletto Shoes'outfit to headline Friday night. Gary has played BOTF to great acclaim on a number of occasions, but was last here some 7 or 8 years ago. It’s always interesting working with Gary as we never know who is going to be turning-up to play! Knowing Gary, for our 20th Anniversary ‘Blues’, they could include some very well-known names!

An artist we’ve wanted to get to BOTF for years is finally with us on the Saturday. Former ‘Canned Heat’ guitarist and ‘John Mayall Bluesbreaker’ Walter Trout is coming to Chichester. A world-renowned bluesman, Walter is named by BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris as ‘the World’s greatest rock guitarist’ so we’re thrilled he will be with us for our 20th Anniversary festival.

As for the rest? … Well there’ll be something for everyone, with a number of terrific acts new to Blues on the Farm, such as Never the Bride, Todd Sharpville, Ben Prestage, The Brass Knuckle Blues Band, and Midnight Train, alongside many old favourites including the stunning King King, the irrespressible Connie Lush, and three-times Blues Harmonica Player of the Year, Errol Linton. Keep checking this website for updates.

King King Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bluesonthefarm for regular news.

This website will be regularly updated, but already contains loads of useful information about accommodation, travel, camping, food and drink and everything you need to know to make sure you have a great festival!