Kokova Magazine

Rising once again like a phoenix from the ashes, GuilFest, The UK's No.1 family festival returns to its spiritual home - the idyllic grounds of Stoke Park on July 18th/19th/20th 2014.

The public have spoken, and after a year without their favourite festival they have bombarded Guildford Borough Council in their droves with requests for its rightful return, creating one of the largest petitions ever to grace the council’s website, and proving GuilFest has a truly special place in the hearts of music lovers everywhere.

Organisers are delighted to be back, and this year will see the original team (a team that swells to a number of over 2000 local people when the festival is in full swing) thoroughly committed to giving the town truly the best festival it has ever seen. Not only this, but organisers have reduced ticket prices too - With a limited number of adult weekend with camping tickets available for just £100 That's a saving of over £30 on the same tickets for GuilFest 2012.

Headlining the festival on Friday 18th July, The Boomtown Rats grace The Main Stage for what promises to be a show stopping performance to conclude the day's proceedings. Fronted by world famous singer/songwriter, author and activist Bob Geldof and formed in 1975 in Dublin, The Boomtown Rats exploded out of Ireland in '76 and their fast, loud, furious music and their fast loud furious attitude meant they became part of the burgeoning punk scene.

The Boomtown Rats have toured with world famous names such as the Ramones and Talking Heads, and performed alongside contemporaries the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Jam and The Stranglers to name but a few. A string of top ten hits and platinum albums has earned them Brit Awards, Ivor Novellos, Grammy Awards and they could easily be described as one of the biggest bands of the late 70s and early 80s.

Making history as the first Irish band to have a UK No 1. hit with 'Rat Trap', The Boomtown Rats topped the charts in 32 Countries with their timeless anthem 'I Don't Like Mondays' and racked up 6 era-defining albums and 12 UK top 40 singles.

Saturday 19th July sees a headline performance on The Main Stage from disco, R&B and funk royalty Kool and The Gang. Famous for classics such as 'Celebration', 'Get Down On It', 'Ladies Night', 'Cherish', 'Hollywood Swinging' and 'Jungle Boogie' as well as countless others, Kool and The Gang have sold over 70 million albums worldwide and can rightfully lay claim to have influenced the music of three generations.

With a whole host of accolades including 2 Grammys and 7 American Music awards, as well as over 31 gold and platinum albums, they are one of the most successful bands of their kind - having performed continuously for the last 35 years! This is longer than any other R&B group in history - and due to their instantly catchy funk arrangements they are also credited as the most sampled band by other artists of all time - bar none.

Electro pop icons The Human League are confirmed to close the festival on Sunday 20th July. With everyone from Madonna to Moby, and Pet Shop Boys to Robbie Williams and even Nine Inch Nails citing The Human League as an influence, the Sheffield originating band are clearly one of the most important acts of the last 40 years.

Their number 1 triple platinum 1981 album 'Dare' has proved to be a genre defining record, paving the way for the pop sound of today, leading to two BRIT awards for the band, and spawning the seminal sing-a-long hit 'Don’t You Want Me' - A song that still receives prolific airplay worldwide.

Also responsible for such hit songs as 'Tell Me When', 'Human', 'Mirror Man' and 'Open Your Heart', The Human League have truly had an incredible career that includes four top ten albums, eight top ten singles, and sales of over 20 million records, as well as numerous awards, a Grammy nomination and legions of fans across the globe. Having last headlined GuilFest back in 2009 - a show that received universal approval from thousands of GuilFest attendees, organisers expect them to be a massive hit with Stoke Park crowds this summer.

GuilFest 2014 will feature an amazing line up of over 200 music, comedy and theatre acts, spread over a variety of stages including The Vive Le Rock Punk Stage, The Big Cheese Rock Cave, The Funky End Dance Tent, The Acoustic Stage, The Cosmic Comedy Tent and The Theatre Stage. Visitors can expect touches GuilFest has come to be known and loved for, such as Farmer Giles Barndance, The Massive 150ft Beer Tent selling all manner of beverages including traditional real ales, cocktail bars, food stalls from around the world, the fantastic art and craft village, and one of the best children’s areas on the festival circuit, The GuilFest Kidzone with VIP guest appearances, fun rides, daring circus performers and much, much more.

New for the 2014 festival is The Spaced Inn - an arts, music, and performance venue with entertainment all weekend long - including open mic sessions and impromptu performances from local artists and musicians.

For visitors that want to experience GuilFest in style, for the first time ever in the festival's history a very limited number of VIP tickets will be available to the public. These will allow access to a backstage area with posh loos, and a special bar for exclusive after-show parties. You never know who you might see around there.

GuilFest 2014 - Back by popular demand - promises to be the most exciting event the area has ever seen. Tickets available now from www.GuilFest.co.uk or from Seetickets on 08712301106.