RHYTHM FESTIVALS ANNOUNCE NEW FORMAT & FIRST ACTS FOR 2012

After six solid years of building up a loyal following, Bedfordshire’s Rhythm Festival produces offspring. The 2012 Rhythm Festival will not be a single weekend, but three festivals in one. Combining RHYTHM FESTIVAL, RHYTHM FOLK and RHYTHM & BLUES.

All three festivals will operate simultaneously over the August Bank Holiday Weekend in different parts of the same 500 acre site, with some shared facilities (children’s entertainment; camping, toilets and showers; certain bars and entertainment) plus unique, specialist stuff in the Folk and Blues Fields. A "Land Train" is being booked to ferry people around.

Says Festival Director Jim Driver: "This really is an exciting an innovative idea. Rhythm Festival Pass holders will have access to the whole site – much more than before – but if people want to spend less and just visit a Folk or a Blues Festival, they have the option. Rhythm Folk and Rhythm & Blues will be self-contained weekend events in their own right."

Ticket prices are currently:

All Festivals Weekend Early Bird Pass: £99 (adult 18+); £60.00 (youth/child 5-17)+ camping.

Rhythm Folk Weekend Ticket: £70 (adult); £35 (child/ youth) until 31/05/12… £80/£35 after

Rhythm & Blues Weekend Ticket: £70 (adult); £35 (child/ youth) until 31/05/12… £80/£35 after

Under 5’s are free.

Camping (per tent holding up to 4 adults) £36.00. Campervan/caravan: £50.00.

Jim Driver also says that he and his team are currently working hard on improving facilities at Old Warden Park, near Biggleswade to make them the best at any UK music event, bar none. "And," he says, "there’s going to be so much more than at any previous year. More stages, more entertainment, more bars, more fun!"

Early Bird All Festival weekend tickets will stay at £99 until 1,000 has been sold and then the price will rise to £119.00.

The first acts are also announced today. Most of the three festival’s headliners are yet to be booked and will be announced in the New Year.

Friday 24th August:

RHYTHM FESTIVAL: Hawkwind, The Slackers (USA), The Beat

RHYTHM FOLK: Peatbog Faeries, Wishing Well (Aus)

RHYTHM & BLUES:Wilko Johnson

Saturday 25th August:

RHYTHM FESTIVAL: The Damned, Denis Alcapone (Jamaica)

Sunday 26th August:

RHYTHM FESTIVAL: Ken Boothe (Jamaica), David Rodigan, John Otway Big Band

RHYTHM & BLUES: Crosstown Lightnin’ (featuring Charles Shaar Murray)

RHYTHM FESTIVALS 2012

August 24-26, 2012

The Mansion House@Old Warden Park, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire SG18 9DX