Preview: Figure 8 Festival

True Lovers Knot,Blandford, Dorset

September 21st-23rd 2012

Founded in May 2012, the inaugural Figure 8 Festival will take place at True Lovers Knot in Tarrant Keyneston, nr Blandford Forum, Dorset, from September 21-23, 2012. The 499-capacity, invite-only festival will feature a line-up of top music “new and old” as well as late night entertainment and more. It is run entirely by volunteers and is designed to raise up to £10,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support with a view to becoming an annual event.

Inspiration
Organiser Lauraís cousin Alice was just 22-years-old when she found out she had cancer. Originally from Weymouth, she was teaching English in Thailand, where she was hospitalised with crippling stomach pains. Tests revealed she had a tumour in her womb. She returned home, where she underwent several courses of intensive chemo as the cancer spread to her lungs. Finally, and against all odds, she beat the cancer but it was a trying few months and Macmillan Cancer Support proved vital to this difficult process.

Cause
From its early beginnings, founded in 1911 by Douglas Macmillan, Macmillan Cancer Support has grown to become the largest cancer care and support charity in the UK. With more people living with cancer than ever before, the need for Macmillanís vital service is constantly growing and with more than 96% of their services funded by donations, the charity relies on fundraising and events like this to ensure it can cover the £132.9 million pounds needed every year to carry out its work. More information at www.macmillan.org.uk.

Northampton indie band My First Tooth and Gloucestershire nu-skiffle trio will join half a dozen top Bristol bands, Scarlet Rascal and the Trainwreck, Empty Pools, Goan Dogs, Schnauser, Von Bartha and Oxygen Thief, at Figure 8 Festival.

There is also a strong local element to the festival, with Bournemouth festival favourites Discoís Out (Murders In), Mother Ukers and Escapefromí98 joining fellow Dorset artists Jinder C, Tom Caulfield, and the finest one man band in the land, One Man Destruction Show. Completing the initial line-up announcement is Manchesterís Faerground Accidents and Londonís The Fades as well as solo artists Mat Motte and Joel Harries.

The live acts will take to the stage from noon on Saturday September 22. When they finish at around 11pm, some of the hottest DJs around will take to the decks for a silent disco. These include Bournemouthís Dirty Soul DJs, Paul Hanford (DJ) and Iggy B (DJ). Organisers are yet to announce the main headliner and have a few more top acts under their belt, which will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Full artist information can be found at http://www.figure8festival.co.uk/line-up/.

Tickets
The organisers have decided to forgo tickets for this inaugural event, in favour of a suggested donation approach. The best way to do this is to visit our Just Giving page, where we’d invite you to donate a minimum of £15 in return for a wristband for the weekend (£5 minimum for under 16s). Please note that as this is a strict 499-capacity invite only event for the first year (we hope to grow the numbers and sell tickets in future years), numbers will be capped and we can only guarantee entry for the first 250 people donating to our Just Giving page. Please ensure you leave your full name, which will then be added to the guest list; you will be able to collect your wristband at the venue on the day.

Camping and parking will be available from 6pm on Friday September 21, 2012, to noon on Sunday September 23, 2012, for £10 per person, payable on the gate on the day. Parking only will be a £5 donation per vehicle, again payable on the gate on the day. All ticket proceeds go direct to Macmillan Cancer Support. More info at www.justgiving.co.uk/Figure8

Links
http://www.figure8festival.co.uk
http://www.trueloversknot.co.uk