Jasmine Kelly

Jasmine Kelly’s final-day review of Boomtown 2026 follows a backstage tour of the green hydrogen-powered Hydro XL stage, a side-stage performance by Nimino, a visit to the festival post office and a locally sourced milkshake. She describes performances by Scissor Sisters, Skrillex and Faithless, including a 15-minute pause during Skrillex’s set over crowd-crushing concerns. The festival ended with a pyrotechnic closing ceremony, followed by the traditional early-morning drumming in the Hidden Woods before Kelly photographed the grounds and departed.

Boomtown Festival 2026 attracted 77,000 people and resulted in 39 arrests and 62 crimes reported to police. Drug-related offences accounted for most arrests, including 23 arrests for possession with intent to supply, while three rape reports were recorded and two people were arrested in connection with rape allegations. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said public safety was its priority and that investigations would continue; Boomtown declined to comment.

Clean-up operations began at Matterley Estate after Boomtown 2026 ended, with litter, overflowing bins, cans and packaging visible across parts of the festival site. The five-day event in the South Downs National Park attracted thousands of attendees. Boomtown promotes a leave-no-trace policy, offers a £20 eco-bond for returned waste and recycling, and reported that 89% of attendees took their tents home the previous year. The festival also highlights sustainability through infrastructure including a hydrogen-powered main stage.

Boomtown Festival’s 20,000-capacity Hydro XL stage at Matterley Estate is being powered entirely by hydrogen fuel cells and self-charging Hydrogen Power Unit batteries supplied by GeoPura. The system replaces diesel generators, producing electricity with water as its only by-product and reducing noise and exhaust emissions. Following a smaller trial the previous year, the deployment represents a major expansion of Boomtown’s sustainable power initiative, with the technology operating during performances by artists including Nimino, Skrillex, Four Tet and Groove Armada.

The fourth day of Boomtown Festival is presented as a highly inclusive and community-focused experience, with dedicated LGBTQIA+ spaces, creative self-expression and friendly interactions among festivalgoers and staff. Shaggy delivers an energetic set featuring “It Wasn’t Me,” while Scooter attracts a lively crowd with hardcore techno, dancers, pyrotechnics and colourful lighting. The day ends with further raves, performances and exploration of the festival’s theatrical spaces.

Boomtown organisers warned festival-goers that dry conditions were creating significant dust clouds around roads, walkways and other high-traffic areas at the Matterley Estate near Winchester. Attendees were advised to bring face coverings, wear sunglasses, carry necessary medication and keep asthma inhalers accessible while organisers worked to manage the conditions.

Irish rap group Kneecap used its headline performance at Boomtown Festival in Winchester to lead chants of “Freedom” and “Free Palestine.” Frontman Mo Chara reaffirmed the band’s support for Palestinians, criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and referenced the band’s successful legal challenges involving the British government. Screens also displayed anti-government messages, while the festival ran from August 13 to 16 at Matterley Estate.

Jasmine Kelly reviews the third day of Boomtown 2026, highlighting the reopening of the Lion’s Den stage and an energetic opening ceremony led by rapper Solo and Madness. The day included exploration of Old Town and Hidden Woods, a visit to the San Miguel venue, performances by Kneecap, and late-night raves across Metropolis and Area 404. The review praises Boomtown’s theatrical production, broad range of artists, immersive spaces and green-hydrogen-powered Hydro XL stage.

Boomtown Festival’s 2026 edition officially opened at the Matterley Estate near Winchester with a ceremony featuring dancers, pyrotechnics and a performance by rapper and MC Solo. The reopening of the Lion’s Den stage marked its first use since the COVID-19 pandemic. Madness then became the first non-drum-and-bass act to open the stage, performing several of its best-known songs. The four-day festival also features headline acts including Skrillex, Kneecap, Four Tet and Scissor Sisters.

At Boomtown Festival 2026, Jasmine Kelly takes part in a beginner twerking workshop led by Bristol-based instructor Ivy Rose of Everglowing. Rose explains the dance’s West and Central African origins, its Western sexualization, and its potential physical benefits, including easing menstrual cramps and lower-back pain. The workshop combines grounding exercises, movement instruction and an empowerment circle, creating a supportive atmosphere in which participants celebrate one another. Rose frames collective twerking as body activism, anti-capitalist self-expression and a way to reclaim sexuality and embodiment.

Boomtown Festival attendees gathered at the Matterley Estate near Winchester to watch a solar eclipse that covered up to 90% of the sun, reaching its peak at 7:12 p.m. Festival-goers described the event as peaceful, spiritual, magical and especially memorable because they experienced it together with the crowd. Several attendees compared it with their memories of the 1999 eclipse, while others said the experience encouraged them to attend more festivals in southern England.

Boomtown Festival 2026, titled Chapter Five: Radical Redesign, will take place at Matterley Estate near Winchester from August 12 to 16, with the official opening on August 14. The sold-out festival is expected to attract nearly 80,000 people across 12 main stages and more than 50 venues. Headliners include Skrillex, Four Tet, Faithless, Madness, Kneecap, Scissor Sisters, Scooter, Shaggy, Ashnikko and Eve, alongside a broad programme spanning electronic music, hip hop, punk, reggae, pop and global underground sounds. The festival will also host The Observatory, a women-led live science research facility. Organisers estimate the event supports about 12,000 workers and generates £42 million in UK economic impact, with £36 million concentrated in the Winchester, Hampshire and South Downs area.

Boomtown organisers have warned festival-goers that hot weather and dry grassland create a serious fire risk. Open flames, disposable barbecues and camping stoves are banned, smoking is prohibited in car parks, and hot-water urns will be provided at campsites. Attendees are also advised to prepare for dusty conditions and protect themselves from smoke and dust. The warning comes as firefighters continue battling a major wildfire near the A31 in the New Forest, where the road may remain closed for several days.

Boomtown 2026 is expected to generate £42 million for the UK economy, including £36 million in Winchester, Hampshire and the South Downs. The festival at Matterley Estate attracts about 63,000 people, employs around 12,000 workers and contributes to full local accommodation occupancy. More than 800 artists are expected to perform across 12 stages and over 50 theatrical venues. The festival provides discounted tickets for local residents, rents University of Winchester accommodation for crew, supports Winchester Hospice and neighbouring parish councils, and works with charities including War Child, Onboard Earth and Solar for Schools. Organisers also highlight environmental measures such as recycling 98% of waste, reducing energy use, using hydrogen-powered stages, planting wildflowers and improving habitats.

Boomtown 2026 attendees are being warned about strict limits on alcohol and a wide range of prohibited items at the Matterley Estate in Winchester. Standard weekend ticket holders may bring limited quantities of beer, cider, premixed drinks or wine on first entry, while Sunday Residents ticket holders have smaller allowances. Spirits, glass containers, open bottles, drugs, weapons, fireworks, sound systems, payment devices, cooking stoves and other items are banned. Security staff and police will conduct searches with sniffer dogs, while amnesty points will allow people to surrender illegal or prohibited items before reaching the gates. Breaches may result in confiscation, refusal of entry, ejection or prosecution. The festival is scheduled for August 12–16, 2026, with 63,000 attendees expected.

Boomtown organisers have warned festival-goers to prepare for hot, dry conditions, long queues and limited shade. The festival will provide free drinking water, 24-hour medical centres, welfare hubs, accessible facilities and specialist support for sexual harassment, assault, domestic violence, mental-health concerns and substance use. Attendees are urged to bring water, sun protection and refillable bottles, rest in shade, use medical services appropriately and follow fire-safety rules, including the ban on camping stoves and barbecues.

Photographs document the final days of Wickham Festival 2026, which featured performances by The Saw Doctors, The Proclaimers, The Dhol Foundation, Ferocious Dog, Curtis Stigers and Penguin Cafe. Visitors also enjoyed Morris dancing, choirs, spoken word, food vendors, camping and family activities, with Russell Hastings of From the Jam appearing for an audience question-and-answer session.

Thousands of people attended Stockbridge’s 20th anniversary Trout ‘n’ About food, drink and craft festival, which featured around 200 local-business stalls across the High Street, Festival Field, Town Hall and Vine Yard. Visitors praised the event’s family-friendly atmosphere, local character and organization, while volunteers reported strong and smoothly managed crowds. Local producers, including Longdog Brewery and handmade-art seller Be Festooned, said the festival provided valuable exposure and trading opportunities. Councillor Ali Johnston and MP Caroline Nokes highlighted its importance to Stockbridge’s rural economy, community cohesion and celebration of local produce.

Wickham Festival returned to the Hampshire village for four days of live music, camping, food stalls and entertainment, with the Saw Doctors, the Proclaimers and Ferocious Dog among the headliners. First-time visitors, returning festivalgoers, traditional performers and volunteers praised the event's friendly, relaxed and family-oriented atmosphere. The festival has operated for more than 20 years and continues to attract visitors from across the UK.

A motorcyclist suffered serious injuries in a collision involving a Mercedes A-Class and a Ducati Monster Plus at the junction of Shore Lane and the B2177 in Bishop's Waltham on August 1. Police seized the Mercedes after finding it was uninsured and appealed for witnesses or dashcam footage.

Boomtown organisers told residents near the festival site that about 63,000 people are expected to attend. A community meeting addressed concerns about traffic, lighting, sound and drug management. Measures include road closures and speed limits on the A31, coordinated traffic planning, revised stage locations, sound-management preparations and a 24-hour residents’ hotline. Organisers also noted that campervan numbers are expected to rise to 1,700.

Former Hampshire Police inspector Gerard Hutchings, 67, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing 18 men aged 17 to 31 between 1999 and 2007. He used unnecessary strip searches to humiliate and assault victims, admitted 17 misconduct-in-public-office charges and was convicted of 11 further sexual-offence charges. A renewed investigation launched in 2020 identified 373 people who had contact with him, leading 17 men to provide evidence. Victims described lasting trauma, while the judge condemned Hutchings’s prolonged abuse of authority and praised the police investigation.