HOSTED by electronic band Dub Pistols, ‘The Mucky Weekender’ is returning to Winchester Vicarage this September with a star-studded line up.

Event organisers are expecting as many as 4000 people to the music festival, 1000 more than last year.

This year will be the third instalment of the music festival and second at Winchester vicarage farm.

Festival curator and Dub Pistols frontman said: “We started it in Sussex, and it started quite small so it’s been fantastic to watch it grow.

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“I’m hoping that this will be a home for a while. I really really love Vicarage farm. It’s this pristine park plan, it’s just beautiful. And everybody in the local village can come for free.

“We’re a boutique festival and it’s very much about the music.”

New for 2022, is a pirate ship stage, in addition to the festival’s mainstage, dance marquee and ‘the shack’ which will all takeover different zones of the 28-acre private parkland.

Barry said: “The good thing about the line up is it’s all bands and people I know are fantastic and have worked with over the years. So I know that they are the best performers to have.

“Where we can we’re trying to put on some local artists as well so we’re trying to make sure that we have as much benefit as we can possibly to the area.”

Along with a selection of live performers including the Prodigy’s Leeroy Thornhill, mucky weekenders will be able to enjoy street performers, magic and comedy too. Meanwhile ‘the shack’ will be host to an art exhibit in the woods, specially created by Arlen Figgis, son of renowned British film director, screenwriter and composer Mike Figgis.

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The festival, named after one of Dub Pistol’s bestselling singles, Mucky Weekend, is pleased to support the local community, using local traders and produce whilst bringing business and employment to the surrounding area.

The Dub Pistols chosen partner for the event is ‘Tonic Music’ for mental health. The charity delivers mental health support and recovery through music. Barry became a patron for the charity eight years ago. The frontman said: “Like most musicians I’ve suffered with my mental health over the years. The late nights, the travelling, the drink, the rock and roll lifestyle really that take you up in an industry that is very cruel and takes it out of you. I’ve seen the damages done. During covid, quite a few of my friends and colleagues took their own lives so it just became more and more and more important.

“As our chosen partners they have a big presence at the festival, but we’ve also got the Tonic Ska choir performing at the festival this year. Which is fantastic because they’re brilliant. I’ve been down and watched them many times, there’s 40 people that are in the choir and they’ll be up on stage and opening the festival for us.”

On July 5, Barry is set to host his annual flying circus in Cirencester, where himself and over 20 others will take part in a biplane wing walk for the music mental health charity.

To find out more and donate to the charity visit justgiving.com/fundraising/barrysflyingcircus2022.

The Mucky Weekender will take place in September starting on Friday, September 9. For more information, including the full line up and tickets go to mucky-weekender.co.uk/landing-page/.

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