Events

Review: Common People Festival 2016 | Oxford

Published

10 years ago

June 15, 2016

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Ok. So we are on a mission to look for alternatives to the wonderful Reading festival. That is not to knock the Reading festival, it’s a great gig for young-with-spare-cash people. Or older for that matter. It simply isn’t made for those who have kids dangling about them, or, worse, sprinting off down the street without hardly a goodbye.. Ours is a ‘which family friendly festival are the best in the region’ mission and we are looking high and low.

Common People – what a great name, we had to check this one out. Also it’s really local – well a 45 minute easy drive away with park and rides galore, yes, this one is in Oxfordshire…

So here we go:

Location: As we said, fairly easy to reach (we’d give it a 3.5 stars out of 5) – lost stars on account of not having any local parking and we are simply lazy folk.. the park and ride was easy and there were loads of them, to be fair. OK 4 stars.

Line up: Duran Duran; Soul 2 Soul, Katy B (list more) and Public Enemy? We thought the gigs were a knock out, really top class players still up there after all these years. The weird thing was that the crowd didn’t seem as overwhelmed with joy about it as I personally felt, but then this is Oxfordshire and it differed apparently depending where you were experiencing it from, our cameraman, Juan, always in the front line, stated unequivocally that there was plenty of excitement from where he was standing.

Special mention to the Cuban Brothers brought a different element to the weekend, outrageous, hilarious and incredibly entertaining. They are made up of charismatic Mike Keat (Miguel Mantovani), Archie(Archerio) and Kengo Oshima (otherwise known as Kengo san). Despite the fact that none of them are actually Cuban, they are incredibly convincing.

Lining your stomach: The food was outstanding. Really very good quality, and yes, I did sample quite a bit. The price was, well, London, I’d say, depending on what you went for; a plate of excellent curry £9 pounds. I’d pay much more for excellent curry however if you are more cash-strapped than lead by your tummy, it is worth thinking about. Burgers and Pizzas went for more around the £5 pound mark.

Looking good? The crowd was looking good – you might want to polish your wellies (helpful if Hunters) up a bit before coming in here if you give a damn for such things as fitting in with the crowd! Having said that, we met with nothing but friendliness and were not quite so good looking ourselves – it didn’t seem to matter.

Little ones: Our 4 year old had a really good time; she loved the helter skelter, typically, which was 2 pounds a go as were the bouncy castles, again, that got her jumping for joy (sorry). The entertainer was pretty mesmerising on his high wire juggling flames and there were plenty of other juggling going on in the crowd by other, older children. Talking of which, if she was just a bit older we reckon she would have enjoyed other tents and the crowd of children around as the atmosphere was friendly – definitely the friendliest bouncy castle bloke I’ve ever met – I stopped short of asking for a photo but he was pretty great…

Lots for your money? Loot: Some things were costly – beer and cider 5 pounds a pint and as mentioned, some of the food. However entrance was only £29.50 for an adult. Frankly that is just fabulous for the line up on each day and For £59 per day you got into the The Nook – VIP area, where you got shelter from the sun in huge tents, a great view of the stage and even a couple of kind of short beds that you could flake out on if they weren’t pre-loaded with flaked out kids.

Related Topics:Review: Common People Festival 2016 | Oxford

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Soultasia Brings a Night of Soul & Disco to Reading This August

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3 weeks ago

July 30, 2026

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Soul and disco fans are in for a treat as Soultasia makes its Reading debut with a spectacular open-air concert at Prospect Park on Friday 14 August 2026.

Running from 5:00pm to 10:30pm, the event promises an evening packed with timeless anthems and legendary performers, as one of the UK’s fastest-growing soul and disco concert brands brings its acclaimed live show to Berkshire.

The star-studded line-up features some of the biggest names in classic soul, funk and disco, including The Real Thing, Gwen Dickey – the iconic voice of Rose Royce – Odyssey, Loose Ends, and Phil Fearon & Galaxy. The evening will be hosted by Ian Reading, with DJ Darren Bull keeping the party going throughout the event.

Since launching in 2021, Soultasia has become one of the UK’s leading touring soul and disco festivals, attracting thousands of music lovers with its nostalgic celebrations of classic hits and legendary artists. The brand now stages events across the country, combining iconic live performances with a vibrant festival atmosphere.

Held in the picturesque surroundings of Prospect Park, the Reading edition is expected to draw fans from across the South East for an unforgettable summer evening of live entertainment. Tickets start from around £23 plus booking fees, with VIP Golden Circle upgrades also available for those wanting front-of-stage access and exclusive facilities.

Tickets are still available, but with strong demand expected, organisers are encouraging fans to book early to avoid disappointment.

With feel-good classics, singalong favourites and some of soul music’s most celebrated performers all on one stage, Soultasia Reading is shaping up to be one of the area’s standout live music events of the summer.

Soultasia Reading takes place on Friday 14 August 2026 at Prospect Park, Reading, from 5:00pm until 10:30pm.

Events

Just Ten Days to Go Until Stowaway’s 5th Birthday Celebration!

Published

4 weeks ago

July 21, 2026

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Stowaway Festival - main stage at night 2 (c) Alastair Brookes 2024

There’s just two weeks to go now until one of the UK’s fastest growing music festivals Stowaway Festival celebrates its fifth birthday. An independent, family-friendly festival, Stowaway is happening over the weekend of July 31st – August 2nd in idyllic surroundings near Stowe, north Buckinghamshire. Weekend tickets are still available starting from just £249, with adult day tickets costing £90 – purchase here.

On Friday July 30th, the incredible Brooklyn trio Say She She will top the bill, preceded by a stacked list of dance music luminaries including Eris Drew b2b Gallegos, Dr Banana, Move D, Alex Kassian, and DJ sets from Gabriels and Ishmael Ensemble. Legendary drum‘n’bass label Hospital Records will celebrate their 30th birthday with a takeover of the Shake Off stage with sets from London Elektricity, Lens, DJ Zinc and Makoto.

Saturday August 1st will see drum‘n’bass legend Skream headline Stowaway on a day which includes sets from Ewen McVicar, Calibre, Scientist, Francois K, 1-800 Girls, Nicky Blackmarket plus live performances from Emma-Jean Thackray and Joshua Idehen.

Sunday August 2nd will see the mighty Nightmares on Wax (DJ Set) & Kokoroko bring Stowaway to a close, preceded by Hot 8 Brass Band, WheelUP, Rohan Rakhit, and the hilarious Loco Cricket, which happens on the green on Sunday afternoon and always draws a huge crowd.

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Founded in 2022 by Duncan Wheeler, who grew up on Blackpit Farm, Stowaway is 100% independently owned and has no corporate sponsors. The festival’s inclusive mix of eclectic dance music with family friendly vibes is proving ever more popular – in 2025 they increased their audience by over 20%, bucking the trend in a very difficult market for the festival sector.

Created by friends, for friends, Stowaway is a secret world for you to discover.

“What makes Stowaway unique isn’t just their music or food, it’s the vibe. Everyone is there to have fun, smile, and make memories” ★★★★★ (Fab Festivals)

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For a taste of what to expect watch the Stowaway 2025 Aftermovie

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Reading Festival Unveils Biggest Arena Overhaul in Its History

Published

1 month ago

July 14, 2026

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Pepsi MAX presents Reading and Leeds Festival have announced major new plans for the on-site festival experience at both shows this summer, with a completely revamped stage layout that marks the biggest staging and arena overhaul in the festival’s 37 year history. This year’s Reading Festival is now SOLD OUT with only remaining Sunday Day Tickets available now at https://www.readingfestival.com/ with final Leeds Festival tickets available at https://www.leedsfestival.com/.

Synonymous with unforgettable weekends and always looking ahead to pioneer the next chapter in modern culture, this years’ Reading and Leeds Festival will see new stages with their own new identities offering an experience never seen before. These include:

The Grid

The home of the festival’s main stage, The Grid is where iconic headline moments happen. The greatest place to watch live music for the whole of summer, it’s a crowning platform that welcomes the biggest artists on the planet and those leading the way in the here and now. Expect to witness headliners Charli xcx, Fontaines D.C., Dave, Raye, Florence + The Machine and Chase & Status alongside Sombr, Skepta, Role Model, Loyle Carner (Reading only), Blossoms (Leeds only), Declan McKenna, Jade, Maisie Peters, Keo and more soundtracking The Grid this year, with Kasabian making history in Leeds as the first ever Thursday night headliner of Leeds Festival.

The Gallery presented by Budweiser

A brand new stage for 2026, The Gallery is an undercover immersive stage. Innovative LED screen lights and immersive production runs throughout the entire stage. The Gallery is ready to create iconic moments from Josh Baker, Geese, Kneecap, Skye Newman, Kettama and Holly Humberstone amongst others with Gunna, Chris Stussy and Viagra Boys adding to proceedings in Reading whilst Jamie Webster, The K’s and Rose Gray add to the lineup in Leeds. The Warehouse

Previously announced, The Warehouse is a brand-new purpose-built home for dance music with viewing platforms in front and behind the decks, plus huge screen production welcoming special sets from Skepta b2b Prospa, Hybrid Minds, Hedex, Silva Bumpa and Rossi. amongst others. Max Dean goes b2b with Luke Dean as well as Bou, in what will be the first ever custom built, experiential dance stage for Reading and Leeds.

The Ballroom

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The Yard (Reading Only)

The Yard will bring the industrial edge of alternative club culture. Situated in the open-air with shipping containers The Yard this year will offer something completely different to any other stage at the festival.

These new stages are joined in Leeds Festival by the return of much-loved fan favourites LS23 (lineup for which was revealed last week and sits as one of the most popular late-night destinations) and Piccadilly Circus, with full programming to be revealed in the coming weeks. Leeds Festival sits as the only opportunity for fans to still secure their spot at Reading and Leeds Festival this summer to experience the full weekend’s programming, and ticket buyers are encouraged to purchase now to avoid disappointment.