Roll up! Roll up! A million dreams are never enough, but this year’s Poole Harbour Festival offers the chance to experience the ‘Greatest Show’ up close and personal with the amazing Swamp Circus, England’s longest running circus.
And with 40 live music acts on three stages, bigger bars, plus a tempting array of street food and tasty treats from around the world, there’s something for all the family to lap up at this year’s bigger than ever Poole Harbour Festival on Harbourside Park from 26 to 28 July.
For the first time the festival will host full circus shows in the Big Top main stage featuring acrobats, jugglers, aerial artistes, stilt walkers, clowns and fire acts – with plenty of circus skills workshops for anyone who wants to have a go and find out what it’s like to join the circus, even if it’s only for an hour or so!
Swamp Circus was founded in 1986 and for more than 30 years it has toured at home and abroad, visiting 28 countries and being featured on film and TV. Swamp will stage free 45-minute circus shows on Saturday and Sunday in the Big Top, while the Remarkable Mr B also performs his circus show in the Big Top on Friday evening.
Once again Poole Harbour Festival showcases a stellar live music line up with the legendary Mungo Jerry – whose singer Ray Dorset lives locally – performing their greatest hits including ‘Baby Jump’, ‘Alright Alright Alright’, ‘The Pushbike Song’, ‘Long Legged Woman Dressed in Black’ and, of course, the worldwide chart topper ‘In the Summertime’. They’re joined in the Big Top by the cream of Britain’s tribute bands including UK Queen, Foo Fighters GB, the return of Prodigy tribute Jilted Generation, the Ed Sheeran Experience and Tania Alboni’s Amy Winehouse show.
This year the second stage, Harry Rocks is focussing on the best original local bands with the likes of Black Water County, Saints of Sin and Pronghorn, as well as the jaw-dropping ‘chap hop’ raps of Mr B Gentleman Rhymer.
Meanwhile the Dance Tent line up is headlined by international superstars Seb Fontaine and Dave Pearce featuring able support from the likes of Jon Langford & Paul Moss, James Herkes and Slinky Classics from Dav Gomrass.
Poole Harbour Festival opens at 5pm on Friday, noon on Saturday and 11am on Sunday, closing at 11pm on Friday and Saturday and 6pm on Sunday.
Specially priced first release tickets are available until Sunday at www.pooleharbourfestival.com. From Monday the full price structure applies.
