Wickham Festival announces The Levellers as its first headline act

The Levellers playing at Victorious Festival 2016: Paul Windsor

The rock band, from Brighton, top the bill on the Saturday night of the four day festival that takes place between Thursday ,August 3 and Sunday, August 6 in Wickham village.

Peter Chegwyn, director of Wickham Festival, told The News that booking The Levellers, who last played at the event in 2010, is a major coup.

He said: ‘We had a lot of requests for The Levellers to come back and play again.

‘They also asked us if they could come back because they had such a great time when they played here.

‘They recently packed out the Guildhall in Portsmouth and we are delighted to have them back.

‘The Levellers play at all the major festivals across the country and we have pulled off a real coup.’

Wickham Festival also announced that the ‘creme de la creme’ of folk acts will play, with the likes of Seth Lakeman, Show of Hands and Eliza Carthy all to perform sets.

Prior to the announcement Peter, who is a Gosport Borough councillor, said that early bird ticket sales numbers have been better than ever.

Peter said: ‘We had people buy tickets from America and Australia last year and we’re expecting the same this time around.

‘I’m really pleased with how next year’s festival is coming together and I think we will sell out all four days.

‘We still have some really good headliners still to announce in the next few weeks.’

Wickham was voted best UK Festival under a capacity of 15,000 at Live UK Music Business Awards in 2015.

It is one of three summer music festivals in the area long with Victorious Festival, which takes placed in Southsea Common on August Bank Holiday weekend, and Mutiny Festival, who recently announced 50 Cent as their headliner, on King George V playing fields in Cosham on May 27 and May 28.

‘These three festivals are great for South Hampshire and help put us on the map,’ Peter added.

‘Wickham Festival is great for the village. It brings in money for the local businesses and taxi drivers.

‘For a small village, it thinks big and everyone who lives their benefits.’