Pippingford Park – The Ashdown Forest, 4th – 6th August 2023
Something magical is happening deep in the Ashdown Forest this August! A camping weekend filled with world-class music, inspirational talks, workshops, classes, an outdoor spa with treatments and wild swimming. Whether you’re with family or friends, Good Vibrations Society will offer you an opportunity to truly relax in nature.
Enjoy live music throughout the day and night, followed by DJs into the early hours; during the day, choose from talks, yoga classes and afternoon workshops, from one of the many activities like hot air ballooning over the forest to the giant slip and slide into the wild swimming lake – there’s something for everyone. The younger members of the society can head down to The Hive each day for games, robot building, and circus classes or splash about in the giant sandpit!
Camping is the best way to enjoy the weekend, whether in a tent, a yurt or your camper, there’s plenty of room and a nightly opportunity to lay back and watch the stars.
Going into its third year, this edition’s major additions are extra activities in the mornings and afternoons, a wellbeing area offering wood-burning saunas, jacuzzis and a plunge pool set within a peace garden. One-on-one healing treatments and ‘Branches’, another new venue dedicated to talks, where we have, along with SEED TALKS, invited several inspiring thought leaders to share their ideas with the society. These talks range from the secrets of Lucid Dreaming to Psychedelics and Mental Health. The Ashdown Forest Foundation is also curating a programme of discussions alongside The Wildlife Trust, exploring local and less local ecological topics and guided walks across the forest. Ollie Ollerton and Mark Whittle offer ‘The Source Code’, a series of talks and workshops on Saturday and Sunday.
Music at this year’s event will once again take centre stage with an incredible line-up of world-class musicians through the day and night across four music venues. Topping the bill is ‘musical institution’ David Rodigan; one of the most respected reggae DJs in the world, Rodigan has been championing Jamaican music since the sixties with various high-profile radio shows, sound clashes and DJ performances from Jamaica to Tokyo and back again. He plays at good vibes for the first time this year, but as a close friend of the festival, it will likely be the first of many! Hypnotic Jazz singer Yazmin Lacey will perform with her band on Friday night with songs from her recent hit album ‘Voice Notes’. Yazmin is a shining example of quality music breaking through, and after a few years of incredible releases, she is now getting the recognition she deserves.
Reggae sits at the heart of good vibes and this year’s line-up is no exception. Alongside Rodigan will be dub masters and local heroes Gentleman’s Dub Club, Glaswegian sound crew Mungo’s Hi-Fi with Eva Lazarus, Reggae Soul singer Tashay Makeda, local legends Dread Centre, Brighton institution Roots Garden, London dub lords General Roots, Planetman and residents Cuppa T and Deano Pressure then round off the weekend’s roots offering. After last year’s closing performance by the epic ‘London Afrobeat Collective’, we have invited one of the best to have ever done it with Soweto-based BCUC flying over to close this year’s festival! More Afrobeat across the weekend from newcomer Muva of Earth with her enigmatic fusion of Afrobeat and Alternative Jazz, YAMÄYA, a new local Afrobeat band and DJs Rafiki and Mother of Mankind. Jazz and Soul Music in the trees of the Ashdown Forest is a unique fusion. At this year’s Good Vibrations Society, there will be emerging songlines across all the stages headed up by UK Soul legend Jazzie B, Yazmin, Mychelle, Mamas Gun and ROSZA.
Good Vibrations Society ends each day in an immersive musical experience, and across The Bloom (Main Stage) and The Warren, there will be a spread of electronic music with garage from 90’s hit makers Artful Dodger and the exceptional Kele Le Roc. Drum and Bass / Jungle will be represented by legends Fabio and Randal and Hot Cakes artists Ed Solo and Deekline. Hip-Hop / electronic mashup duo The Nextmen will be tearing up The Bloom alongside newcomers mustbejohn and Nikhil Beats, while UK Disco legend Greg Wilson, party starters The Menendez Brothers, local legends Dimitri Narkov and Nolan and Extra Soul Perception label boss Andy Lemay will cover soulful House and Disco.
Each year Good Vibrations Society invites new artists to apply and, after days of listening to hundreds of applications, chooses a wide variety of incredibly talented emerging musicians to perform in ‘The Nest’, a new community-focused area of the festival set in the trees, offering complimentary tea and a place to retreat and enjoy the good vibrations. ‘The Root’ offers Yoga class each morning, inspirational workshops in the afternoons and moves into folk, psychedelic, devotional, and acoustic music each evening. Headlining this year’s evening programme are Folkadlelix, Kangaroo Moon, and Ravi Freeman, alongside acoustic musicians Täis Bean, Portia Cocks and Ederlezi with DJs Pablo Forever Cacao and Anna-Lisa-Drew.
Full info, including boutique camping, campervans and family tickets: www.goodvibrationssociety.com
