Greenbelt is proud to offer the UK's richest programme of arts, culture and spoken word spanning across four days

24th - 27th August 2012 - Cheltenham Racecourse

Greenbelt announces new additions to its increasingly rich and diverse programme, further solidifying its position as the UK's leading family festival of arts, music and spoken word. Asian Dub Foundation will bring their critically-acclaimed blend of hard ragga-jungle rhythms, indo-dub basslines, soaring sitar-inspired guitars and traditional sounds to the Mainstage; plus man of the moment, soul-singer Josh Osho will perform on Saturday; troubadour and former Busted lead singer Charlie Simpson will perform tracks from his debut solo album; while poet, funeral director and the inspiration behind critically acclaimed hit US TV Series Six Feet Under Thomas Lynch will speak at the festival for the first time. All latest acts announced below. Greenbelt takes place from 24th-27th August at Cheltenham Racecourse. Tickets are on sale now HERE.

MUSIC

Having erupted onto the UK music scene in the early 90s and achieving subsequent success with their Mercury-nominated second album, 'Rafi's Revenge', Asian Dub Foundation (ADF) will be performing at this year's Greenbelt Festival on Saturday 25th August. Widely considered to be one of Britain's most exciting live bands, they boast a catalogue of further successes including a supporting tour with the legendary Beastie Boys in the US and a collaboration with Primal Scream. Known for their strong justice agenda, ADF have been linked to a series of controversial yet fascinating projects including a Gaddafi-inspired English National Opera in 2006, creating the soundtrack to a Channel 4 film "Bradford Riots" that same year and their recent live performance of the La Haine soundtrack. Their latest studio album "A History of Now" again pushes the boundaries and asks questions while being different musically from previous releases. Their performance this summer promises to be nothing short of exceptional.  â€¨â€¨

Josh Osho, the 20-year-old rising star is storming onto the British music scene and will perform on Saturday's Mainstage. A soul singer with an unconventional and often tempestuous childhood, Osho has gone from being homeless at 16, to dealing drugs from notorious Ebenezer Hotel at 17 to now finding himself signed to Island Records. Recently he performed on Later...with Jools Holland and supported both Emeli Sande and Rizzle Kicks. Arguably one of the most exciting male soul singers to emerge onto the scene, Osho is a thrilling addition to the line-up.

Plus, former lead singer of one of the UK's leading boybands, Busted, Charlie Simpson will perform tracks from his latest solo album that has achieved huge success online and in the charts. Simpson has joined forces with acclaimed producer Danton Supple (Coldplay, Doves) to create his latest album "Young Pilgrim". The result is an accomplished 12 track record that emanates vintage warmth and whose luscious melodies and occasional imperfections lend it a vibrant character and earnest charm.



Further additions to the music programme includes human beatbox legend Shlomo, a formidable artist whose career spans from Grammy Award nominations, performances on Later...with Jools Holland, countless festival performances with the likes of Jarvis Cocker and Ed Sheeran, plus a residency at Southbank Centre where Shlomo curated and performed in a collaborative concert series featuring a diverse range of artists including Martha Wainright, Teddy Thompson and DJ Yoda. Aradhna will also perform their sitar-drenched spirituals across the weekend, their deep, brooding and diverse music inspired by the traditions of North India and North America. Their sixth album "Namaste Saté" is their most ambitious and far-reaching project to date and Greenbelt are thrilled to welcome the duo to the festival stage with a body of work that builds lasting bridges between disparate communities throughout the world. Also performing are thrilling soulful Americana band Phantom Limb and Billy Bragg's Jail Guitar Doors protege, Leon Walker.

PERFORMING ARTS

Stan's Cafe are added to the Performing Arts programme bringing their latest show, The Cardinals, to Greenbelt. A visual show performed without words, the seriousness of the Cardinal’s intent mixed with a deliberately-naïve theatrical style makes the show simultaneously very funny and strangely touching. Plus performances from the fearlessly imaginative and physically daring, Lila Dance who capture the extremes of humanity within physical movement, expressing through modern dance the primal urgency and intelligent reasoning of humankind.

TALKS

Greenbelt's diverse programme is further affirmed with their latest booking, poet and funeral director Thomas Lynch. Described by Alan Ball, creator of arguably one of America's greatest TV shows of all time, Six Feet Under, as 'a brilliant, soulful writer [whose] essays about an undertaker gave [Ball] a sense of tone [he] wanted the show to have.' As an inspiration for such a formidable TV series, Lynch brings something unique to this year's festival. Joining Lynch across the four day festival, Shadow Minister for Crime Prevention Stella Creasy MP plus British Sufi Muslim researcher Tim Winter, Dean of the London School of Jewish Studies Raphael Zarum, Chief Executive of WWF-UK David Nussbaum, freelance journalist and writer specialising in Palestine/Israel Ben White and author and Professor Christopher Barnatt.

FAMILY

Greenbelt is the perfect place for families to enjoy a bank holiday weekend away and this year welcomes the return of musician and author, Duggie Dug Dug; Blunderbus Theatre Company whose tales of the wondrous story of The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark will entertain children throughout the day plus Stories for Stargazers tells tales of "saviours and scallywags". Vahakn Matossian will create an exciting outdoor installation The Animal,  whilst PuppetCraft's Circle of Tales: A Myth From Africa has live music and wooden puppets. Illusion, singing and acrobatics is presented by the Amazing Norvil & Josephine Show, plus circus and yoga workshops, tipi building and much more to entertain families for hours.

COMEDY

And finally, the comedy offering expands with stand-up comedian, writer and actor Paul Kerensa, the ever-impressive folk stylings of the boys from Little Dribblepatch, Folk On; plus idiosyncratic performers John-Luke Roberts & Nadia Kamil of The Behemoth who offer "an impressive display of subversive comic invention in this enjoyably misshapen sketch show" (Chortle). Time Out New Act of the Year winner in 2008 and Chortle's Best Newcomer nominee in 2009, Mike Wozniak will also be on hand to tell his weird and wonderful stories.

Tickets are now available from the Greenbelt festival website or via 020 7374 2760. Prices are fixed until 30th June 2012 and adult weekend tickets are £110.00; adult concession weekend tickets are £68.00; under 18 weekend tickets (5 to 17 years) are £60.00; family weekend tickets (2 Adults, 2 Under 18s) are £285.00; single parent family weekend tickets (1 Adult, 2 Under 18s) are £180.00 and infants (0-4 years) go for free. Days tickets are now on sale ranging from £15-£60. 

“No matter who you are or where you come from or what you believe in, if you’re open-minded and care about the arts, or think for yourself and forge your own opinions, you’ll be at home in this place.”
Artrocker
 
“Britain’s greatest festival... The content, the opportunities to be challenged, affirmed, welcomed and angered as well as entertained and introduced to new things... it’s enough to make me nostalgic the day after it finishes.” The Huffington Post
 
“I believe in dialogue, and that’s what Greenbelt is all about.” Peter Tatchell