Guilfest 2003

04th - 06th July 2003

Our third festival, and this time we increased our stall significantly, with 24 ft to play with. We brought down BodyJewelleryShop.com as well and had a great time selling all kinds of smoking and piercing items. The festival was incredibly busy. Some great bands were playing, as well as other random entertainment going on all over the place. Firebreathing and displays went on into the night, with members of the public 'having a go'; our stall was right next to the 24 hour 'ambience tent' which meant that either we got no sleep, or we had very bizarre dreams!

Highlights of the weekend would have to be Gary spending 10 minutes trying to sell magic mushrooms to the band 'Cast', without realising who they were ("Hang on a second... you guys are in a band right?") We also met the most friendly policeman in the world, who was rather amused by our stall. That's one in the eye for the Rythems of the World festival, who despite being smokers themselves, wouldn't let us trade there due to our products. Heh!


Here's what the organisers have to say about Guilfest:

The best and most established events are always built upon humble foundations, and GuilFest music festival is no exception. The festival began in 1992 as a one day event, under the organisation of festival-goer Tony Scott

The philosophy behind the festival was to put on an event with great music like other festivals at the time. The expertise in the events business meant that infrastructure was improved upon that of other festivals (for example the first Guildford festival toilets had piped music and flowers). Out of this thinking the Guildford Festival was born, albeit into it's humble initial venture, as a one day folk and blues event costing a mere £5 entry fee

For the years '93 and 94 the festival was still a one day affair, but in 1995 the festival made a leap in status, and took place over two days with camping. The music reflected the increase in scale, offering a more diverse range of bands. The festival during this year was held at Losley, 4 miles away from Guildford. In the same year Chris Evans auditioned to play at the festival on his Radio 1 show. In 1996 the festival returned to its origin at Stoke Park. 1997 saw the festival pass another landmark, in changing to a three day event. The festival now rivaled Cambridge and Womad. The increase in size lead to a great increase in popularity and the festival sold over 11,000 tickets in total

Guildford Festival 1998 saw bands such as Space, Shed Seven and the Lightning Seeds headlining, indicating once more the festival's capacity for growth. The festival since then has occupied the position of the UK's 6th largest outdoor music festival. In 1999 the festival saw bands such as James, The Saw Doctors, and Jools Holland & his orchestra gracing the main stage, still maintaining it's roots with the continued inclusion of the Acoustic Stage. The festival in this year changed its name from Guildford Festival to Guildford Live, an indication of growth and modernisation of the event.

In 2000 the festival had its licence increased to 12000 capacity. Acts included Van Morrison, Joan Armatrading, David Gray, Culture Club, Jools Holland, Motorhead and Rolf Harris. Since 1992, Guildford Festival has grown, it has changed to meet the demands of a changing music scene, ever maintaining the original ideal, to provide excellent music without compromising on the surroundings and amenities. As a result of its ability to grow and adapt, Guildford now ranks as a highly valued and important UK Music Festival.

Find out more at: http://www.guilfest.co.uk