The Big Chill local press day

I'm in the impressive 'Octagon Room' inside the very impressive Eastnor Castle – which gives a home to The Big Chill on its adjacent deer park. Following the festival's acquisition after financial problems by Festival Republic, the company’s Managing Director – Melvin Benn - is doing what he does for many of their festivals, a local press day.

Giving a short presentation, he runs through a little of the festival's history, and while he's certain that this is the 8th Big Chill at Eastnor Castle, he tells us that not even festival founder Katrina Larkin (who's present today as well, with the role of the festival's Creative Director) is sure how many there’s been in total. 20 she thinks.

The Big Chill is one of the UK's longer running festivals. The last decade has seen a large number of new 'boutique' festivals – a rather meaningless tag in real terms, with boutique meaning small, and the tag applied to festivals from 500 people to nearly 50,000. If there's anything that can be taken from the phrase, then I guess The Big Chill can claim to be the original, and much copied.

Starting out based in the dance scene – but on the side of the more chilled out beats, and not so much the bleeps and beeps – The Big Chill has evolved as it's grown over the years to include more guitar acts, and this year sees some some heroes of the indie scene line-up alongside more traditional Big Chill acts such as Kruder & Dorfmeister, Mr Scruff, and the ever-present Norman Jay, as well as having the necessary big name headliners to fill a big festival. This year sees Massive Attack, M.I.A. and Lily Allen top the bill, while the undercard includes Thom Yorke, Roots Manuva, Gregory Isaacs, Kelis, Plan B, and many more.

The arts side of the festival – which has given The Big Chill its uniqueness in a world of so many homogeneous festivals – is Katrina's main focus, with acclaimed artist Spencer Tunick present this year to create one of his famous nude landscapes, while the famed 'arts trail' remains a part of the festival, to delight and inspire.

Melvin explains that the site layout has been altered for this year, to better place related things near to each other (such as family car–parking near the family camping, and that near the kids area), as well as changing from a long thin layout to something more circular so more easily accessible, and less 'up-and-down' on what is a site with hills.

Along with new owners comes a new team who put the festival together. The main Deer Park Stage as well as the new Clash Stage bookings are now done by Live Nation’s Jon Dunn, who also books the Latitude festival for Festival Republic, while Glastonbury's experienced dance area co-ordinator & booker Malcolm Haynes is also on board with Festival Republic to organise what Melvin says is the new late-night 'Downtown' area. Speaking with Malcolm later he corrects this, saying it's actually 'Uptown'.

"Uptown has 5 venues", Malcolm explains. This includes the Revellers Stage which is its main stage, while Cube Henge and the Igloo, featured at this year’s Glastonbury, is also a part of the set-up, as is a 3-D disco, and Chill X with acts such as Natty, Phantom Limb, and Smoove & Turrel.

Asked which are the hot acts Chillers should go and see this year from the acts he's booked, his recommendations are Kelis and Plan B. "I love Kelis' new musical direction, being more electro and having moved away from the R'n'B side of things." While of Plan B he says "phenomenal …. His new sound is more like a Motown album, almost like a Marvin Gaye album, very northern soul."

Speaking with Jon, who admits to not having attended The Big Chill before, I ask him about how he booked his acts. "I looked back on previous line-ups," he says. "I used these to understand what's expected, and I'm sure that what's on offer isn't going to disappoint. I share an office with Katrina, so we've been able to share ideas and she's been able to guide me when needed."

Explaining his choice of headliners, he says "Massive Attack are what might be called a traditional Big Chill act, appealing to both the older Chillers as well the younger ones. M.I.A. is something a little different, and I'm sure she'll be fantastic."

As for the third, how long did it take to coax Lily Allen out of her much publicised 'retirement'? "As long as took me to write a short email asking her if she'd play" Jon replies. I guess the world isn't going to be allowed to forget Lily just yet.

Massive Attack, M.I.A., and Lily Allen headline the Big Chill. Also confirmed are Kelis, Roy Ayers, Henrik Schwarz, Roots Manuva, London Elektricity, Kirsty Almeida, Gilles Peterson, The Leisure Society, Netsky, Breakage, Layo & Bushwacka!, Foreign Beggars, High Contrast, Tinie Tempah, John Hegley, The Bug, Mixmaster Morris, Jose Padilla, Cringe, The Fisherman's Friends, Toddla T & MC Serocee, The Heatwave, Futureboogie, Terry Callier, Plan B, and many more. For the line-up details as available please click here.

The Big Chill festival has outdoor bars and stages with live music, DJs, VJs, A/V acts, comedy, dance, art installations and more. Musical styles include dance and electronic, alternative/indie and of course, chill. This year will be the 15th anniversary of the festival.

The Big Chill offers both families and ravers a diverse range of art, films, poetry, cabaret, kids spaces, comedy, and literature in addition to the music.

Tickets are on sale priced at £155 per adult with a maximum of 4 tickets able to be bought per household, teen tickets (13 to 17 years old) are priced at £60, and kid (12 and under) are £4. Live-in vehicle tickets are priced at £50 (per vehicle for the weekend), and car park tickets are £7.50 in advance, more on the gate. Sunday Day tickets are priced at £70 and are only valid for camping on Sunday night.

To buy tickets, click here.

Cancelled Glade Festival ticket holders are being offered the chance to exchange their tickets for Big Chill tickets. Any festival goers who purchased full price Glade Festival tickets via Ticketline for £135, can contact Ticketline requesting to swap their Glade ticket for an Adult Weekend Big Chill ticket. Glade ticket holders will be charged an additional transaction fee of £7 per ticket swapped, meaning that they will get a Big Chill ticket which would have cost them £155 + £7 booking fee for £135 + £7 booking fee instead, saving them £20.

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