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The Big Chill - The "Anti-Genre" Multi-Media Music Festival

Set in a Castle Grounds, Some Call The Big Chill The Best Music Fest in the UK

By , About.com Guide

Juana Molina at The Big Chill

Argentinian singer-songwriter, Juana Molina at The Big Chill in 2007

Jim Dyson/Getty Images
  • What: A multi-media festival of music, art, video, poetry with a grownup, chilled out vibe and a strong environmental component.
  • When: Four days at the beginning of August
  • Where: Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Eastnor,Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8.
  • ContactChillfest Ltd, PO Box 58279, London N1P 1EU
  • Email:info@bigchill.net
  • Admission: From about £70 for Sunday to £165 for four days with camping and bus transportation
  • Website, tickets available online
The Telegraph in London described the Big Chill as, "where dance music went when it grew up,” and that about says it all. It's a multi-media festival - offering an unpredictable variety of international music, performance art, poetry, comedy, dance, video and film - against the backdrop of a castle deer park in Herefordshire. The organizers boast that you can expect to hear anything: from classical to dance music, including folk, jazz, hip-hop, world music, funk, soul, blues, pop, lounge and ambient.

Unlike the muddy scrum of some of the big UK music festivals such as Glastonbury, The Big Chill usually feels much less crowded and hysterical, but that's not to say it's tame. In fact, The Independent called it, " a spacious and eco-conscious rave for kids of all ages." And they do mean all ages. The Big Chill is a democratic affair attracting kids, families, young adults and even crinkly baby-boomers.

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