Christopher BarrettBoomtown Fair co-founder Luke Mitchell has outlined plans to create ‘a new kind of Boomtown’ having secured a 20% increase in the event’s capacity.
On the back of the Hampshire festival’s licensed capacity being grown from 65,999 to 76,999, Mitchell has outlined details of a ‘radical redesign’ of the event, including a focus on a broader attendee demographic and on a wider range of music genres.
“The building blocks are now in place and it’s time to expand once more. To grow forward into the full, epic, and most ambitious version of Boomtown,” said Mitchell.
The festival’s senior creative said the event, which is part owned by Live Nation, will continue to feature everything it has become famous for, including intricately created ‘worlds’ around storylines, and bouncing dancefloors, but with “more space to breathe, more nature, more woodland, more hidden places everywhere, just to hang out”.
Among the key changes will be the Hilltop becoming the festival’s ‘heart’ with a mix of live music and entertainment, The Lion’s Den returning to the Temple Valley amphitheatre, and the inclusion of Hydro XL – a new ‘flagship stage’
Mitchell said that over the past two years Boomtown’s team has noticed a significant change in the people who attend: “The crowd has grown into a beautiful mix of generations. We put that down to creating comfier spaces to hang out, upgrading camping options, and making the festival feel like a true home. Many who first came years ago have now returned and when we see older and younger ravers sharing the same dancefloor, the energy becomes richer, more grounded. That’s the spirit we want to keep building.”
On changes to the approach to talent booking, the Boomtown boss said, “While bass music has dominated in recent years, and we’ll always build on it, we’re making a conscious move to keep Boomtown musically diverse and unpredictable. Expect more live bands and more cross-genre adventures. That’s where Boomtown began, and it’s what keeps us on the truest path forward.”