Pollen Festival runs this weekend in West Wittering

Curator Olivia Stevens said: “Situated at the same site as last year’s Wittstock, Pollen builds on that success but for 2016 is rebranded as a music and arts festival for all the family with an extended format including other art forms but still with amazing live music at its heart.”

The full line-up is: 12pm – Lem & The White Fire (soulful pop); 1pm – Mike Fry and Lewis (roots/folk/blues); 2pm – Collyde (ska, reggae, funk); 3pm – Lady & The Duke (vintage swing beat); 4pm – Grizzly & The Grasshoppers (rootsy slide guitar driven funky blues); 5pm – Beatroot (horn-led funk); 6pm – Ruby & The Revelators (soul, blues and jazz); 7pm – The Neaps (pop from Prince to Robert Palmer); 8pm – The Earl Jackson Jive Band (one of the UK’s premier rhythm n blues bands); 9pm – Funky Junction (classic disco cuts); 10pm – DJ Pete plays soul funk and disco to close out the festival.

Olivia said: “The aim is to bring together local people for a wonderful musical extravaganza celebrating the best of local and regional talent at a very competitive price. It was also our aim to extend the remit of Wittstock which took place at the same venue last year to include other art forms too.

“I booked the bands for that too, but myself and this year’s organisers felt inspired to expand the scope of it and rebrand it as Pollen. It’s a great family day out where all ages are welcome. Going to festivals can be very expensive and is often outside of many people’s budgets so Pollen is right on people’s doorsteps and at £12.50 per adult ticket, it represents very good value for money.

“I got the bands through the contacts I’ve made through curating many different music events over the years and via being involved in the music scene myself, fronting the band Ruby & The Revelators.

“This is largely a new thing in its current form as it offers something new and different from what other one-day events have done as it also includes pop-up poetry and theatre, willow-making, face-painting, jive dancers alongside ten bands and one DJ who is headlining the event.

“It may become an annual thing and become larger as we have another venue in mind for next year that’s much bigger, though that’s dependent on this year’s event being success, so we really need local people to come and support us by joining us for an amazing day of music, great food, and fun, hopefully in the sun! We are also proudly supporting the Alzheimer’s Society raising money with a bucket collection.”

For more info, call 01243 511234.

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