Taking place between 21-24 August at a secret location near Market Harborough, Shambala is back for its 25th anniversary.
Independent festival Shambala has added new names to its line-up for 2025, including Romare, Manga Saint Hilare, Nubiyan Twist Soundsystem, Lady Shaka, DJ Yoda, Grace Petrie and Freestylers v Dub Pistols.
Elsewhere on the programme are Fat Dog, Moonchild Sanelly, She Drew the Gun, Asian Dub Foundation, and a UK festival exclusive from American hip-hop trio Digable Planets.
The festival will also introduce The Next Stage for 2025 – a space that will concentrate on forward-thinking dance music. Music tech initiative Saffron Records, which is working to address the music industry’s gender imbalance, is set to take over the stage with artists including inda Flo and LCN. Bridging nearly a century of generations, the line-up stretches from 80-year-old Ustad Noor Bakhsh to eight-year-old DJ prodigy Youngalist.
Prioritising lightness and fun, for its 25th anniversary, the festival has announced the return of ‘Shampolympics’ – Shambala’s wild twist on Olympic sports – alongside hidden venues, dance workshops, immersive art installations, yoga and breathwork sessions, secret shows, and a carnival fancy dress theme.
Jazz bar Pink Flamingo returns with its entirely secret line-up only being revealed when each act steps on stage, as well as festival event specialists House of Dinosaur hosting nightly interactive date nights before the music kicks off. Political art collective Led By Donkeys are set to host a talk presenting inspiring ideas on how activism and creativity can be weaved into everyday life.
Chris Johnson, Shambala’s Director & Co-Founder, said: “We started as a bunch of 100 mates in a field, with a farmer’s trailer for a stage. It’s been an amazing journey and life experience – a privilege to be part of a radical community who know how to have a wild time and stand up for what matters in this crazy world. This year we will celebrate 25 years in style, with stacks of exciting changes. Expect an adventure!”
As a pioneer in green practices, Shambala runs on 100% renewable energy, has eliminated single-use plastics, and now, in a UK festival first, has become the only festival where 100% of gas used onsite for cooking and showers will be biogas made from UK-sourced byproducts.
Returning for the third year in a row, Shambala will also use the Pay It Forward: Share the Love scheme to ensure that tickets are more accessible for all. So far, £43,000 has been raised to cover tickets, food, travel and accomodation. Applications are open for Pay It Forwards Tickets here.
Visit the Shambala Festival website for more information.