Wilderness Festival Confirms Headliners and Line Up for 1st – 4th August 2024

A shimmering four-day party like no other, the multifarious gathering in the wild is back for a deluxe and divine thirteenth edition of the Wilderness Festival 2024 and tickets are available now from the official wilderness website.

Unleashing stellar artists and acts from around the globe to perform amidst a magical nature reserve, Wilderness presented by Audi arrives on the 1st – 4th August 2024 with headliners Michael Kiwanuka, Faithless, Bicep present Chroma, Jessie Ware and much more to cement it’s position as the UK’s best festival.

As wholesome as it is hedonistic, the progressive multi-arts programme and four-day festival delivers something for everyone, gathering artists, musicians and creatives from every discipline; institutions and collectives at the top of their game, Michelin-starred chefs, performers, professors and practitioners. Stadium headliners meet backroom bar bands, newly discovered acoustic talent sits beside mighty electronic virtuosos.

Designed to nourish, to thrill and to inspire, Wilderness has evolved, delivering a glittering, heady dose of glamour, excitement and escapism – with a generous side of the surreal. You’ll find performances across the most epic and intimate of dance floors, from atmospheric and left-field hideaways to the euphoric Valley and the mighty Wilderness Stage.

There’s a new and extended comedy programme; an increased focus on pursuits in the wild; a lineup of culinary experiences which continues to surprise with its scale and ambition; more to discover within the parades, walkabout theatre, interactive artworks, and micro-venues and the most glamorous themes to date. The stars are aligning: be prepared for the most glorious Wilderness yet.

 

Music

The Wilderness Stage is famed for its eclectic programming. Timelessly soulful singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka plays a show featuring his brand-new material. His 2012 Mercury-nominated debut album ‘Home Again’ was a smash success and winner of BBC’s Sound of 2012, his sophomore album in 2016 ‘Love & Hate’ went gold and triumphant third album ‘KIWANUKA’ scooped the Mercury.

He’s joined by anthem-wielding, atmospheric megastar house duo Bicep with their brand new vision Chroma – an AV DJ project combining new music as well as highlights from the band’s epic back catalogue. The duo return to deliver this audio visual enchantment after the sun sets and to close out the show.

Multi-Brit and Mercury-nominated disco doyenne Jessie Ware is back, 10-years after making her Wilderness Stage debut in 2014. The captivating, Ivor Novello-award winning vocalist is known for her soulful sound, emotive lyrics and danceable hits.

Continuing the series of bona fide dance music legends playing on The Wilderness Stage, this year’s titans are the multi-platinum certified Faithless performing a live show. In a history that stretches back some 25 years, they have long occupied a pivotal position in the world of British electronica with their euphoric, arena-cramming sounds that bridge house, trip hop and songwriting prowess. They make an emotional return with a rebirth, performing new music as well as their trademark ecstatic bangers.

National treasure Bill Bailey opens the stage with his unparalleled combination of comedy and music; his new show Thoughtifier is a magical, musical mystery tour of the human mind, along with some other pressing matters about whales, biophilia and unrequited love. The trio of crowd-pleasing openers kicking off The Wilderness Stage show across the weekend is completed by award-winning leftfield act Oh My God! It’s The Church and satirical Australian ABBA show, Bjorn Again.

Barry Can’t Swim is the moniker of Edinburgh-born producer Joshua Mainnie. His Ninja Tunes-signed debut – the crossover album ‘When Will We Land?’ – boasts a singular, technicolour energy and has cemented the artist as a vital force in UK dance music. With a career that has spanned 34 years, De La Soul, hailing from Amityville New York, are bona fide hip hop royalty.

They join magnetic vocalist, keyboardist and producer Alison Goldfrapp – best known as one half of the multi-award-winning synth-pop duo; Melbourne blues-rockers The Teskey Brothers; widely adored BBC Radio 6 Music funk and soul DJ Craig Charles; the Van Morrison Alumni Band and festival favourites: Dutty Moonshine Big Band who, this year, take their rinsing sounds to The Wilderness Stage having played multiple times at other venues.

Infamous canopied amphitheatre, The Valley glitters to life as the stars come out: a woodland dancefloor replete with lasers and the finest superstar DJs. This year, in the afterglow of his Wilderness Stage debut, Barry Can’t Swim will take to the decks for a genre-spanning electronic adventure. Scottish DJ, producer and star DJ of the hour Ewan McVicar goes back-to-back with Special Request – aka the mighty Paul Woolford: the ex-Back To Basics and We Love Space resident, techno producer, DJ and Intimacy label boss has been playing global clubs and festivals for three decades.

Esteemed DJ, producer and broadcaster, Sarah Story who hosts BBC Radio One’s Future Dance joins the party, hot on the back of her recently launched concept, ‘Stories’. Saint Ludo is set to bring her high-energy blend of rap-inspired UK bass and party-starters. Eats Everything – globetrotting DJ, accomplished producer, prolific remixer, label owner and radio host – returns to The Valley.

The incomparably energetic Ibibio Sound Machine play a clash of African and electronic elements: golden era West African funk and disco meets modern post-punk and electro. They bring their full band to The Atrium for the first time.

The Jumpyard – curated by festival aficionados Continental Drifts – is the place for big bands, vibrant rhythms, sunshine tunes and late-night skanking. The Gnawa Blues All Stars play sacred trance music from Morocco, The Old Time Sailors Band are a 20-strong shanty party, Don Kipper are a seven-piece playing psychedelic Mediterranean disco-funk and all-female 10-piece She’s Got Brass bring their huge sounds from London.

With a broad, genre-blurring menu of live music from folk to indie, blues to cajun, soul to country, grunge to jazz and a very good dose of everything in between, The Barn is programmed in collaboration with Wilderness’ friends and longtime partners at Cut A Shine, Front Room Songs and Woodburner Music.

This is the place to hunker down for dazzling performances and unscripted anarchy. Peckham’s very own Cosmo Pyke is a multidisciplinary artist known for his unique blend of indie, jazz, blues and hip-hop. He joins KoCapoli – a sibling indie-folk three-piece weaving sweet magic, surreal psych-country pop troupe Melin Melyn who bring their cast of curious characters and magnetic fast-rising indie-rock four-piece, Die Twice.

Akola Tambo bring their blaze of Afro-Colombian beats alongside uplifting rising star, South London singer Loie and South African soul singer, two-time SAMA award-winner Bongeziwe Mabandla, who sings his lyrics in isiXhosa. Cut-A-Shine – the London-based troupe of traditional musicians, dynamic Ceilidh dancers and crazy callers – take over for a frenzied Friday.

Barriers between artist and audience melt away at one of the most opulent hidden highlights: The People’s Front Room, is a new addition to the Wilderness fold.

Intimate, upfront party The Hustle throws open its trademark resonant dancefloor again this year, with more daytime sessions, kids sensory discos, label takeovers, free-flowing cocktails, back-to-back wildness and notorious late-night antics.

 

Feasting And Dining

A haven for food enthusiasts, Wilderness pioneered the concept of festival fine dining and continues to push boundaries, remaining unparalleled in quality, scale and ambition. From culinary collaborations with renowned chefs to forest feasts beneath the Wychwood canopy, epicurean delights await around every corner.

For the Long Table Banquets this year, all four headline chefs will be making their Wilderness debut. With magnetic personas as well renowned as their world-class food, diners will no doubt leave both satiated and rapt. Double-Michelin-starred French chef Claude Bosi is the only chef in history to have stars awarded to the restaurant in the original UK Michelin HQ – Michelin House.

Chef Director of Brooklands (two stars in the 2024 Michelin list) and the iconic Bibendum, he is due to open a fourth restaurant Josephine in partnership with his wife Lucy. Asma Khan is the owner of London’s famed Darjeeling Express and an award-winning chef hailing from Calcutta. An all-female team of immigrant women forms the backbone of her kitchen.

Richard Corrigan’s career spans over thirty years, and multiple countries with five venues currently running across London and Ireland. A supporter of British and Irish produce, his Wilderness feast will pay homage to his roots, diners can expect a signature blend of exquisite food, Irish hospitality and great craic.

Andi Oliver is a trailblazing chef, broadcaster and current presenter of the Great British Menu.

For the first time at Wilderness, Audi is to offer festival goers the opportunity to visit the Audi Lounge, which will include bespoke cocktails created by Audi ambassador and Michelin-starred chef Rohit Ghai, alongside many Audi surprises. Chef Ghai will also design a special menu for the Audi Kitchen, serving lunch and dinner for guests.

Perched on a hillside overlooking the glistening waters of Lake Wilderness, The Chef’s Table boasts another all-star cast for a weekend of intimate seven-course dining from those leading the way in closed-loop cooking and sustainability.

Chef/owner of the Two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Da Terra, Rafael Cagali makes his Wilderness debut. Under the general management of Charlie Lee, Da Terra is an expression of Rafael’s roots, paying homage to Brazil, with Italian influences.

Joining Rafael for a Wilderness first, Josh Angus – executive chef at Michelin-starred London hotspot Hide and Michelin green star holders Nolla. Meaning ‘Zero’, the Helsinki-based restaurant Nolla has a zero waste ethos that means they don’t accept packaging from their suppliers, their uniforms are made from discarded bed linen and they have their own composter and microbrewery.

Rounding out this exceptional cast, multi-award-winning chef and owner of Mayfair’s Apricity (Michelin Green Star) Chantelle Nicholson returns to Wilderness but this time, for her first appearance at The Chef’s Table.

The Wilderness Kitchen returns, completely reimagined for its fourth year, transitioning from daytime lunch and brunch to night-time revelry and delights. The perfect place to start your day and dine in style to the legendary soundtrack of The Wilderness Cricket, with a classic British roast from London chop house experts Blacklock taking over the Sunday lunch spot. By night the venue transforms into a vibrant dining and performance space, with guest supper club takeovers: there’ll be comedy, music and drag artists galore.

Mam Sham are the formidable London-based female duo who combine headline comedy and food at their sell-out supper clubs. London’s wildest food-focused soiree, Bloodshot Supperclub, returns, ready to make some seriously delicious mischief with Robin Gill at the helm of a handpicked line-up of superstar chefs. Additionally, Social Pantry is back, this year hosting a series of guest chefs partnered with ex-offenders to deliver a course each for their opening night Social Supperclub.

Back for a second year, Carousel takes on a new venue, hosting a weekend-long takeaway and intimate counter dining space alongside a workshop programme that will expand on their 2023 sellout. Ben Quinn and the Woodfired Canteen team will once again be cooking up a storm over live fire, under the chandelier bedecked woodland canopy at his iconic and utterly magical Long Table in the Woods.

 

Talks, Comedy And Conversations

The unmissable Letters Live return to headline the talks programme with a top secret star-studded line-up. Previous years have included Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hollander, Ben Kingsley and Olivia Coleman. Their mission harnesses the unrivalled power of traditional correspondence, delivered with gravitas by an ever-changing cast of the planet’s most acclaimed acting talent.

This year on The Atrium, comedy takes centre stage for the first time in Wilderness’ history. You’ll find full power comedy from headliners Joel Dommett – current host of ITV’s The Masked Singer- and triple threat Rosie Jones, supported by super-sharp stand up from 2023 Edinburgh Fringe winner Ahir Shah and offbeat daftness from multi-award winning comedian Amy Gledhill.

A festival within a festival, the Talks and Debates programme represents a key part of the Wilderness identity. The Forum is the cerebral capital, with items from the serious to the highly irreverent. You’ll find speakers, experts, writers, comedians, visionaries and institutions who specialise in raising questions and challenging beliefs.

Claudia Winkleman, the host of Strictly and The Traitors, and favourite broadcaster of millions, joins us in conversation with Hannah MacInnes to discuss her life and career, the joy of noisy families, the power of Art, the highs and lows of parenting, and of course, how a good eyeliner can really save your life.

Art historian, columnist and broadcaster Katy Hessel is the author of best selling book, ‘The Story of Art Without Men’ and a champion of great women artists will be speaking, as will Turner Prize winner Jeremy Deller: a conceptual artist best known for his political and social themes.

Bringing the broadsheets to life with their pioneering sectional format, Sunday Papers Live takes over The Forum on Sunday with their usual raft of esteemed guests. Secular celebration the Sunday Assembly are back to ‘celebrate wonder and good’ and How To Academy – the ‘organisation for people who think big’ – host talks on everything from wellbeing to politics.

By night, there are cosy music takeovers from the likes of Sofar Sounds. The Books Tent curated by Phlox Books returns with a programme of guest writers, talks, panels, workshops and more.

 

The Arts

Wilderness is renowned for its vibrant tasting-menu of arts and cultural wonders, uncovering gems from the most creative and unconventional realms and spanning a diverse array of disciplines. Resplendent at the centre of the rolling parkland sits The Atrium – home to world class arts, avant-garde performance, headline cultural institutions and mass participatory high jinks.

The now famous Wilderness-devised shows are a cornerstone of the festival. This year, The Wilderness Orchestra collaborates with film critic & musician, Mark Kermode, to deliver a score of soundtrack classics, all introduced by Mark. God’s Jukebox is the euphoric, emotional participatory show which invites the audience to request the songs that have sound-tracked their life’s most monumental moments to be performed by the orchestra in a new arrangement with guest vocalists and personally dedicated to them.

The Wilderness Family Jam, led by The Red Bandits is an opportunity for the Wilderness family to come together for an epic jam session- complete with chord sheets, song sheets, kazoos, ukuleles and a tonne of shaky eggs.

The Wilderness programme is proud to champion transformation, inclusivity, self-expression and diverse identities. Flamboyant and celebratory, The House of Sublime is the ground-breaking venue that has become integral to the ever-evolving Wilderness identity. From award-winning cabarets to contemporary drag, enter a world of the fabulous and the unexpected.

International burlesque siren Missy Fatale brings her Haus of Fatale: an otherworldly show for the misfits and deviants in us all. Prepare to have your sense of possibility stretched and bent by exquisite, intersectional and queer-centric artistry from a smorgasbord of international nightlife artists. Award-winning performance agency The Cocoa Butter Club showcase performers of colour, ‘moisturising a thirsty performance scene’, by platforming QTIBPOC talent in everything from burlesque, drag, circus and sideshow to spoken word, live music and more.

For the late night lovers, Haus of Fatale presents Fatalism – a club night, a coalescing of Ibiza vibes and Berlin avant-garde. Art-house, fetish, ballroom, voguing, fire, latex, aerial, drag and striptease – with some kink for good measure. Featuring DJ Jayli of Jagged Jungle; house dominatrix and kink dungeon included. Infamous dominatrix Eva Oh allows you a peep into her world – most recently glimpsed in an interview on LADbibleTV, and Tom Rasmussen performs their dark dance music with live performance, taking influence from their past life in drag.

Togetherness is back facilitating intimate and hilarious moments and fostering connection. The Wilderness Emporium is the new one-stop-shop for finery, providing an array of glittering delights and uniting an eclectic, talented selection of up-and-coming UK designer-makers who will also be offering workshops.

The Art Studio is also returning, with workshops, drawing classes, bells and whistles. The music programme at The Shala is as blissful as it is pioneering, featuring performances to help you melt away. This year the London Ambient Orchestra headline, with new material from Ceyda Tanc Dance.

 

Games And Participation

Over its thirteen-year lifespan, as the show has evolved, certain Wilderness Classics have emerged: traditions that are unmistakably Wilderness and make it what it is. The Wilderness Cricket Match with Bearded Kitten is one such tradition. Defined by dubious umpiring decisions, fancy-dressed batsmen, inebriated bowlers, a raucous commentary and frequent streaking, it’s the original cricket fixture on the festival circuit and an event which unites the Wilderness crowd en masse.

The Wilderness Choir is the ultimate participatory experience – a heart-swelling festival classic, complete with the full symphony orchestra.

The Village Circus are responsible for games capital The Playing Fields and HQ of funtimes The Club House. Theatrics, dancing and deeply silly participatory escapades entice and delight courtesy of the sublimely ridiculous hosts. This year, Club House bands include RSVP Bhangra – a high-energy, interactive Bhangra experience – and Mariachi El Pinche Gringo – a 12-piece mariachi-style cover band who play raucous renditions of absolute bangers.

The Faraway Fete, brought to you by Tootles + Nibs, is where the weird and wonderful traditions of the United Kingdom come to take off their shoes, kick back, relax, and…get weird. Expect a psychedelic version of the nostalgic Village Fair.

Bringing its electrifying experience to the wilderness, Audi will reincarnate the memorable Audi Wonder Parade of 2022, this time starring an all-electric Audi.

 

Family Entertainment

One of the best shows for families, the programme is wild, colourful and inspiring, with an incredible Family Field crammed with games, activities and performers. The Flying Seagull Project returns – a charity dedicated to spreading laughter to those who need it most. Tootles + Nibs – famed purveyors of festival nonsense – bring their recipe of ‘hubbub, hullabaloo and brouhaha’ to create adventures, stories, dreams and treasure hunts. Transmission Roundhouse, Mortimer Nannies and 321 Lets Have Fun soft play all return to the Wilderness Family Field.

Wellbeing

The Sanctuary exists to nourish and refurbish you inside and out. With a diverse schedule of workouts, classes, talks, dances, gong baths and meditations, you will find whatever you need here. Four hubs host a multitude of sessions, The Studio, The Shala, Mindful Space and Wellbeing in the Wild.

Try Aerial Yoga or SUP with Island Feather, Hot Girl Boxing, a fitness class with dancer and PT Kage Douglas or contemporary, Turkish-inspired dance with Ceyda Tanc. Yoga Brunch and Supper Club are back with their tried and tested feel-good formula, and the utterly iconic Lakeside Spa returns, with wood-fired hot tubs and more from Bathing Under The Sky.

 

Outdoor Experiences And Workshops

As always, the outdoor experiences and workshops to be found in the Cornbury Park nature reserve are world-class. There is a return to the founding principles of Wilderness, with the aim of providing more ways to be immersed in the glorious Wychwood forest. Every pillar this year will have an ‘In The Wild’ item. Food in The Wild takes the form of the Woodland Banquet, Music in the Wild, Arts In The Wild and Talks In The Wild are all to be announced.

Where outdoor experiences are concerned, you are in a world-class realm. Take a Wild Medicine Walk with an expert, immerse yourself under the ancient canopy at Forest Bathing, paddle a boat into the middle of the sparkling freshwater lake or take a pre-breakfast wild swim. Unplug, breathe deep and settle in, The Wilderness is yours for the taking.

Wilderness is proud to welcome premium car brand Audi as headline sponsor in 2024. This partnership marks a first for the festival and a natural meeting of minds between Wilderness and Audi, who share a belief that experience is everything and are passionate about electrifying the future.

Andrew Doyle, Managing Director of Audi UK, says:

“WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR GREAT PARTNERS THAT SHARE OUR DESIGN FOCUSSED, PROGRESSIVE APPROACH TO IMMERSIVE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES. WILDERNESS HAS CREATED SUCH A UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT. WE WERE THRILLED TO EXPERIENCE IT IN 2022, AND NOW ARE EXCITED TO BECOME EVEN MORE INVOLVED IN 2024. AUDI PRESENTS WILDERNESS, THROUGH CAREFULLY CURATED ESCAPISM, MAGICAL MOMENTS AND A FEAST OF FUN, OFFERS SOMETHING TRULY UNIQUE AND IS A FESTIVAL UNLIKE ANY OTHER. WE LOOK FORWARD TO AUDI BEING PRESENT ON THE FIELD IN AUGUST.”

 

 

Where is the Wilderness Festival

Wilderness is at Cornbury Park, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire OX7 3HL

(although campsite postcodes will vary if driving and camping). There is internal buses on site that travels between campsites.

Getting there

The nearest train station is Charlbury Station, which has direct trains from Paddington and Oxford (15 minutes). Shuttle buses will run to the venue only to bus stop 1.

Bus Stop 1
Drop Off, Pick Up | General | Quiet

Bus Stop 2
Boutique | Meadow

Bus Stop 3
Live-In Vehicle | Family | Accessibility | Grove

Campsites at Wilderness

OX7 3HL – Blue Gate – Cranehill Lodge
Family Camping/Car Park
Live-In Vehicle Camping
Accessibility Camping & Live-In Vehicles/Car Park
Grove Camping/Car Park

OX7 3DF – Red Gate – Witney Road
General Camping/Car Park
Quiet Camping/Car Park

OX7 3EW – Green Gate – Southill Drive
Boutique Camping/Car Park
Meadow Camping/Car Park
Drop Off, Pick Up
Bike Park

OX7 3EH – Yellow Gate – North Lodge
Pedestrians only.