Lionel Richie to headline Cambridge Club Festival
The Cambridge Club Festival has announced a star-studded line up for its summer 2023 event including Lionel Richie, Grace Jones and Kool & the Gang.
The Cambridge Independent is proud to once again support the festival, which will return to Childerley Orchard and run from Friday, June 9 to Sunday, June 11, 2023.
On the main stage pop, icon Grace Jones will open the festival with her new-wave disco set. Global solo superstar and four-time Grammy winner Lionel Richie is set to have everyone dancing All Night Long – with his catalogue of anthems, and Kool & The Gang will add to the mood of Celebration, bringing their legendary funk and soul-infused dancefloor classics to the festival field.
Dance hit-maker Sophie Ellis-Bextor will be stepping out of her kitchen disco and onto the stage and the best-selling Black British male artist of all time Billy Ocean and his band will bring his greatest hits and crowd favourites to get everyone on their feet.
The festival’s MD, William Young, said: “We can’t wait for this year’s festival. It’s going to be fuller and funkier than ever before. The team have worked hard to upgrade every aspect of our festival goers’ experience – from expanding camping, to opening up the orchard, to parking on site, and everything in-between. We are excited for everyone to see our expanded offering across music, culture, arts, food, and loads more. It will be by far and away our biggest disco yet at Childerley Orchard!”
Further acts on the main stage line-up include DJ Jo Whiley, who is bringing a 90s anthem-fuelled set. Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club makes a triumphant return as chief connoisseur of funk and soul like no other and disco trio Odyssey will make for an ultimate throwback.
R&B singer Lemar will bring his melodic vocals, and rising star Mica Millar will perform tracks from her acclaimed debut album Heaven Knows. Uncle Funk’s Disco Inferno are back to give a fiery set complete with the most outrageous outfits.
This year, the festival will see an expansion of its camping facilities – from pre-pitched and glamping, to space for revellers to bring their own tents or camper vans. There will be parking on-site for the first time, and the apple orchard (centrepiece of the site) will be extended to full capacity – providing more space for a huge variety of incredible acts and on-site entertainment. The new and enlarged orchard will house three stages; Discovery Den, Imagination Station and Auditorium of Intrigue.
The Discovery Den will be a dance music hub between the trees, with leading DJs – including favourite of the 80’s club scene DJ Fat Tony, drag queen-come-DJ extraordinaire Jodie Harsh, plus Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, Denise Van Outen, WAZE, Bestley, ABBA Disco Wonderland and more.
The Imagination Station – the festival’s expanded family entertainment and children’s activities area will see CBBC legends Dick & Dom take the stage along with Magic Star’s The Rainbow Collection to perform their versions of well-known lullabies, nursery rhymes, covers and original songs. Camp Cambridge, hosted by Tootles and Nibs, will play host to a range of adventures and games, arts and crafts, story-telling and live sing-a-longs for all ages to enjoy.
The Auditorium of Intrigue will host a line-up of comedy stars and thought-provoking discussion panels, also centred in the apple orchard, with acts including Ed Byrne, Andrew Maxwell, Emmanuel Sonubi, Glenn Wool, Ninia Benjamin, Andy Askins, Cerys Nelmes, Paul Thorne, Kazeem Jamal, Kate Williams.
The festival also promises Groovy Goings-On across the site – a diverse array of entertainment for all tastes, including Bongo’s Bingo, Twisted Time Machine’s Temporal Tournament including 70’s Disco Diving, 80’s Rocker Relay, 90’s Tug of Rave Wars and a Time Warp Mass Musical Benches, along with Disco Dodgems, Cham-painting, Boogie Bowling, Judy’s Vintage Fair, Axe-throwing, Retro Arcade, Pimp My Punt Exhibition and a Giant Cambridge vs. Oxford Showdown.
There is the addition of two new areas this year – with the creation of the CC Lounge, an exclusive, premium space with stage views (replacing last year’s VIP area); and Food for Thought, the festival’s food court, hosting an array of street food traders. The showpiece is The Clubhouse, their on-site hospitality area, which offers a five-star festival experience – with complimentary food and drink, fast-track entry, luxury toilets, viewing screens and a private outdoor space, complete with a stage view.
Full details are available at www.thecambridgeclub.co.
