Award winning weekender Secret Garden Party announces Saturday’s burning of the main stage, symbolising the finale of the festival in its current form.
Off the back of the international festival crisis, this year will mark the end of Secret Garden Party as you know it. The brand sets out to revolutionise the festival model. With a focus on collaboration, Secret Garden Party highlights the need for independents to work together to rebuild and restore the scene. With an alarming number of venues closing and festivals dropping this year, their aim will be to invite other events and promoters for a unified growth.
Fred Fellowes SGP Founder highlights.
‘In today’s world it’s no longer sustainable for independents to run festivals. Creativity is being strangled by corporate greed. In 2025, we’re offering our SGP site to all those festivals that have had to cancel or for stages and collectives that have lost their ‘home’. Let’s work together, we have the space and drive to make sure not all is lost for those independents that drive our scene forward.’
The SGP finale is primed to return to their Roots Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th of July. As the leading UK independent festival, the event has become a pilgrimage for those seeking cutting edge and diverse entertainment.
Saturday night is set to be the pinnacle for the weekend, including the drone show ‘Creativity Unchained’ and ‘That’s ‘Showbiz’, Baby’ spectacle. Together bringing a focussed message to inspire, protect and preserve creative expression from the corporate takeover and corruption faced in the music industry. This will culminate in a symbolic ‘Burning Of The Main Stage’ which is a call for urgent change; from the ashes something new will grow from the garden.
In addition, Saturday will also see Ren return to the stage after 5 years with a never seen before, unique two part, 2 hour show called ‘Asylum’, produced in collaboration with Secret Garden Party. Ren, a multi-award winning artist has received extensive praise from his peers including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Russel Crowe, Robbie Williams and Rick Astley to name a few.
In addition, The late Sinead O’connor shared “Every song and or artist in history, even Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, NWA, Ice Cube, and even Bob Dylan, is officially relegated to class B. As are every actor in history or legend: living or dead, male or female. We all are now defunct.”
SGP is renowned not only for identifying talent early but also for nurturing it. This year is considered the peak of their efforts. The extensive line up of over 350+ independent and grass roots artists including Unkle (Rōnin Live), Crystal Fighters, Chinchilla, Charlotte Plank, Carly Wilford, Adelphi Music Factory, Jakkob, Omega Nebula, Technobrass, TC & The Groove together with Chai Wallahs, The Living Room, Noiganica independent collectives all hosting dedicated venues that celebrate diverse, grassroots live music. Save Our Scene, Parable Music, Dubtendo and Truth Tribe are amongst a mix of UK based collectives showcasing electronic talent.
Charlotte Plank comments “I’m so excited to be playing my favourite festival in the world! We’ve been coming as a family since you started, my mum brought me first in 2011 when she first discovered this hidden treasure. Having the opportunity to play these past 2 years has been beyond special for us all and a childhood dream come true.”
Revered for being far more than just music, SGP has a focus on interactive participation, where lines are blurred between entertainers and the entertained. Expect venues that pair art, music and thought provoking activity, in parallel to performers that roam the Garden. A true carnival of creativity and adventure, where you will experience everything from a late night puppet show to human whack-a-mole, parachute club pop-ups to a supersized paint fight. Curators include Lovespecs, The People Pile (The Big Banger), Fruity Dogs Comedy Machine, The Secret Swamp and The Emporium. From the Bohemian Artist Studio through to The Prize Cock this is an unmissable party in its final term (as you know it).
Location.
Secret Garden Party takes place 25-28th July in Huntingdon, Cambridge.
For more information on tickets visit secretgardenparty.com
Tickets.
Tickets available via secretgardenparty.com
H/T B.M.