Camp Bestival founders Rob Da Bank and wife Josie are to launch a second 30,000-capacity festival in Shropshire next year

The Live Nation-owned, family-orientated, festival will take place in Weston Park on 18-21 August three weeks after Camp Bestival (cap. 30,000) in Dorset at Lulworth Castle on 28-31 July.

Rob Da Bank (aka Robert Gorham) told Access that although the stages, tents, zones and all creative aspects of the original Camp Bestival will be rolled out at both events, the festivals will feature some different headline acts and entertainment offerings.

He said one of the main reasons for the move was that Camp Bestival’s existing catchment area runs up to Birmingham but the event attracts a lot of interest from festivalgoers further north.

“There’s a huge amount of people from the north, and from Scotland and Wales, who have said ‘I wish it was a bit closer’ because they don’t want to jump in a car with their kids and drive for seven or eight hours to get to Dorset. Shropshire will make it a lot easier for people from the Birmingham area, and further north, to get to us.”

Despite the festival industry having only recently started to re-emerge from a pandemic-induced hiatus, Gorham says he is very confident Camp Bestival Shropshire will be a success.

“I suppose it looks like a bit of a crazy time be launching a new festival but I think the reverse is true – we have never been more popular,” he said. “Camp Bestival has always sold out right from year one. It has been a tricky two years and all festivals and promoters have been affected by that so I’m not being glib about what everyone’s been through but I am confident the demand is there for a second event.”

Launched in 2008 as the sister event of the Isle of Wight-based Bestival (40,000), Camp Bestival was acquired by Live Nation 10 years later via a joint venture between LN-Gaiety and SJM Concerts.

For more details and the full interview see the November edition of Access All Areas, which will be published next week. Subscribe here