Christopher BarrettGuilFest promoter Tony Scott is set to bring his event back to Guildford’s Stoke Park for the first time since 2014.
The festival will be headlined by Guildford’s own The Stranglers, with Eurovision runner up Sam Ryder at the top of the bill on the second day. Among the other acts on the line-up for the 29-30 June event are Black Grape, The Blockheads, Peter Hook & The Light and Nouvelle Vague.
First launched in 1992 as the one-day Guildford Folk & Blues Festival, it became a two-day festival with on-site camping in 1995, and was expanded to three days in 1997. Acts to have previously played GuilFest include Van Morrison, Motörhead, Madness and Paul Weller.
Scott’s company Scotty Events Ltd went into liquidation following poor tickets sales for the 2012 edition of GuilFest. Guildford Borough Council gave the green light for Scott’s then company Trowfest to revive the event in 2014, but it has not been staged since, with Trowfest dissolved following liquidation in 2016.
The latest incarnation of the festival is being operated by Scott’s company Jolas Events.
Of once more reviving GuilFest, which will feature seven stages of entertainment, Scott said, “We’ve been waiting a long time to get the show on the road again and everything has come together for 2024. GuilFest has a special place in many hearts and we’ve secured some fantastic acts for our first event back.”