Blissfields
Blissfields is an annual music festival in Hampshire, England founded by Paul and Mel Bliss in 2001 at Bradley Farm, Bradley, near Alresford. In 2011 the festival moved to a new site in Vicarage Farm, Woodmancott near Winchester. The festival is currently 2,500 ticket capacity and has previously seen appearances from Mumford and Sons, Bastille, Laura Marling, Super Furry Animals, Tricky, Jake Bugg and Ben Howard. It's a winner of the "Best Small Festival" award at the 2007 UK Festival Awards[1]. The festival is primarily pop, folk, indie, rock, and dance orientated and is attended by families as well as younger music fans.
History
The first Blissfields event was in 2001 when Paul and Mel Bliss invited a few bands to play at Bradley Farm, near Alresford. Starting with just approximately 70 attendees, Blissfields was held again in subsequent years, slowly increasing in size. In 2005, with increased health and safety concerns and licence demands, there was a charge to camp.
2007
In 2007, the festival won the "Best Small Festival" award at the UK Festival Awards[2].
Scouting for Girls headlined and a second stage called the Stage Bus was added. Restrictions at Bradley Farm meant that no more than 1,000 people could attend.
2008
Blissfields was to move to the Matterley Bowl near Winchester in 2008, resulting in an increase in the capacity of the festival to 4,000. On 2 June it was announced that the festival would be cancelled. There were going to be four stages, with The Wonder Stuff, The Whip and Roni Size/Reprazent headlining the Punch Bowl, the open air main stage, between 4 and 6 July.
2009
In 2009, the festival moved back to its original home in Bradley. Headliners were Super Furry Animals, Laura Marling and Mumford and Sons with Ben Howard also performing.
Mumford and Sons performed as then backing band to Laura Marling for the last time following years of performing live together. The ticket capacity that year was 1,250.
2010
The event celebrated its 10th birthday. as Stereo MC's were the main headliners, whilst other acts playing that year included Band of Skulls, Ou Est Le Swimming Pool, Dub Pistols, James Yuill, and Kill It Kid.
It was attended by 1,500 ticket buyers.
2011
The festival moved to a new site with a larger capacity at Vicarage Farm, Woodmancott near Winchester. It was attended by 1,800 ticket buyers.
Main acts included Frank Turner, Tricky, Bastille and Subgiant (band).
2012
This year's main acts were Noisettes and Patrick Wolf as well as Jake Bugg, Bastille, King Charles and Guillemots. A week before the festival it was announced that Charlotte Church would also join the line-up as a surprise mid-afternoon guest on the second stage previewing new material.
The event was attended by 2,000 ticket buyers.
The festival appeared at part of Summer Daze, a television program made for the Channel 4 network, being shown on E4, 4Music and Channel 4 itself during its T4 programming. It was also listed in The Sunday Times "top 50 music festivals" for that year.
2013
The 2013 festival was held between 5 and 7 July. Headline acts included Mystery Jets and Bastille returning after the previous year, as well as Fenech-Soler (whom played at the 2011 festival), Mike Skinner performing with Rob Harvey as The D.O.T., Theme Park, and Marika Hackman.
The event was attended by 2,500 ticket buyers, with a total capacity of 4,000 people, and was listed by The Guardian as a "top 50 boutique music festival", and The Telegraph in their "top 100 festivals" for that year.
