Preview: Hop Farm Festival
By Tom Ingham
Hop Farm Festival
29 June– 1 July
Paddock Wood, Kent
Weekend tickets: £162
Day tickets: £65
After last year’s amazing line-up, with the likes of The Eagles, Morrissey and Prince on show, it’s safe to say I was a little excited to see the line-up for 2012. And how do you follow such a line-up of legends? Well, Hop Farm just bring in some more, but this time a little more left field.
We still have a healthy mix of legendary artists, with the main headliners consisting of Peter Gabriel and the New Blood Orchestra, 70 year old Bob Dylan and Suede. However, there are so many other artists which have me staring at the poster, mouth open. Everything from the iconic Patti Smith to the weird and wonderful world of Gary Numan and if you prefer something a little more bluesy My Morning Jacket should suffice.
Having only been established 5 years ago, it’s very impressive to see how many big names are gathered in this charming field in Kent. Hop has taken things back to basics, making the festival experience all about the fans. With no sponsors or VIPs it’s all about the music, and my gosh what music there is.
Visit the Hop Farm Festival website for more details.