Wilkswood Reggae Festival

Johnny Clarke, General Levy, Mad Professor and Zion Train are all set to perform live on the main stage at this year's Wilkswood Reggae Festival in Dorset in July.

Held in wooded Purbeck farmland in Langton Matravers on the outskirts of Swanage, Wilkswood Reggae 2024 presents four days of reggae and with four nights camping on the Jurassic Coast from Thursday 18th to Sunday 21st July. This year's festival will again see reggae legends rub shoulders with upcoming artists and DJs from the UK and abroad with over 50 acts performing across three stages. 

Veteran Jamaican singer Johnny Clarke helped define the 'Flying Cymbals' period of the mid-70s working with producer Bunny Lee and he has since attained the same legendary status as last year's Wilkswood headliner Horace Andy. General Levy will bring some high energy Junglist Massive to the main stage on Saturday night, accompanied by dub producer Joe Ariwa. Keeping it in the family, Mad Professor (Joe's dad) will be making his now annual appearance at Wilkswood Reggae joined by a posse of his Ariwa record label artists. Zion Train will be making their first Wilkswood appearance, fusing their festival-friendly dub and acid house tracks with vocals from Cara-Jane Murphy. This year the main stage is dominated by female artists with performances from Amarra, Askala Selassie and the Robotiks, Shniece and Run Come Down, Dub Princess and Hot Steppas and Aleighcia Scott. 

The Jah Spirit Sound System arena will again feature exclusive takeovers on each of the four days from some of the UK's top sound systems. Confirmed so far are Leeds' Iration Steppas and Sheffield's Sinai Sound with Bournemouth's own Countryman Sound performing with a crew of deejays and toasters. These genuine sound systems rarely appear outside of the street carnival environment and they will all contribute to the 'Notting-Hill-by-the-Sea' vibe at the festival. Elsewhere a multitude of sound systems and producers will perform alongside a collection of acoustic, dance and spoken word acts on the outdoor Bang Mix Stage. So far confirmed for this year are poet John Agard, David Katz, Selah Collins, DJ Shunz and Sistren Shirley. 

Founded in 2016, Wilkswood Reggae is very much a family-friendly festival and there is plenty to keep your little ones entertained including a dedicated kid's field and a wooded clearing featuring storytelling, nature trails and music. There will also be free workshops in beatboxing, urban dance and rap performance. To encourage the whole family to come along, there are reduced prices for children up to the age of 17 and under-3s are free. With a capacity limited to 2,500, the festival is relaxed and intimate with plenty of camping space and is perfect for families with young children or people who just don't like huge crowds. Both the Main Stage and the Soundsystem Arena are under cover so the music carries on whatever the weather. 

Elsewhere there's a chillout zone, street food stalls (including a Jamaican jerk barbecue, wood-fired pizza and plenty of vegetarian and vegan options), the main bar serving draught beer, ice cold lager and a varied selection of ciders and scrumpies as well as the Rumshak's infamous rum cocktails. Merchandise stalls selling hats, clothing, jewellery, bells and whistles complete the festival experience.

Organised by Bournemouth’s Hard Way Promotions, the festival takes place over four days at Wilkswood Farm in Langton Matravers and the ticket price includes full admission as well as camping and parking for four nights. There is a glamping field with pre-pitched tents and campervans and caravans are welcome (for a small additional fee).