Behold the most audacious performers to ever have graced Bestival’s green fields. From UK festival exclusive headliners, soul divas and sonic heroes to the ‘must see’ acts of 2018, these are the sights and sounds that will define four days of mind-altering music and circus trickery on over 20 stages and micro-venues in eight unique arenas, at the most colourful show on Earth, now in the heart of the summer, on the Lulworth Estate, Dorset.

Rob da Bank says:
Here come the girls…and a few boys too! Yes, it’s Bestival 2018 and we’re here with the first wave of our all-singing all-dancing line-up. With UK festival exclusive headliners London Grammar and Jorja Smith to legends in the game Chaka Khan, Jimmy Cliff and Grace Jones, and always representing the new blood from Mura Masa and IAMDDB to Mabel and Idles, we’re covering all bases. As any Bestival veteran knows we don’t just do music, so come and check our Hot Yoga, Dubstep Dodgem rides, wood-fired hot tubs, AmbientLand craft tent, East 17’s Christmas Party!, and loads of circus-based trickery, including a Human Cannonball, high wire fire walking and a pretty buff strongman popping up on the Main Stage.

Bestival 2018 will see UK festival exclusive headline sets from LONDON GRAMMAR on Saturday night, JORJA SMITH on Thursday in the Big Top, and a huge and very special Friday headliner still to announce, with M.I.A. closing the show before our fireworks finale on Sunday evening.

What does Bestival 2018 hold for you?

There’s no shortage of heroes, legends and bona fide superstars full of circus-themed swagger with standout sets from Grace Jones, Plan B, Chaka Khan and First Aid Kit plus Mura Masa, Sundara Karma, Thundercat, Jimmy Cliff, David Rodigan & The Outlook Orchestra and Stefflon Don among many others confirmed to appear on the Castle Stage.  And the gargantuan and all-embracing Big Top line-up features Django Django, IAMDDB, Kelela, Mike Skinner & Murkage present Tonga and many, many more.

Commenting on their exclusive headline set, London Grammar’s Dot Major said:

We are so excited to be coming back to Bestival this year! Our show there back in 2014 was one of our favourite shows we have done on home shores. I’ve been going along for years as it’s such a magical festival and this time we get to headline! Can’t wait to see you all there.

DJ sets and outlandish PAs include, in alphabetical order, The 2 Bears, Amelie Lens, Bez’s Acid House, Bicep (DJ Set), Billy Daniel Bunter & Raindance, Chali 2na & Krafty Kuts, Craig Charles, Denis Sulta, East 17’s Christmas Party, Faithless (DJ set), Gilles Peterson, Goldie presents Metalheadz, Honey Dijon, Hot Chip Mega Mix (DJ set), Jaguar Skills, Norman Jay, Ram Records, Rodigan presents Ram Jam, Rudimental (DJ Set), Sink the Pink, So Solid Crew, a Vic Reeves reggae set and Wookie & Matt Jam Lamont, with many more selectors signed up to our unholy order of rhythm.

And there are psychedelic sideshows and extraordinary attractions to satisfy the soul in eye-popping venues including Temple, Bollywood, HMS Bestival (AKA The Port), Stacey’s, AmbientLand, Caravanserai, Club Dada and a magnificent charm of stages and immersive micro-venues scattered across our boutique campsite wonderland.

As ever Bestival goes far beyond the music, and this year’s circus-themed arcadia is no exception featuring an array of tableau and temptation with Fat Gay Vegan, Feast Collective, Free Haircuts, Slam Poetry Yurt, Gong Healing, 5k Campsite Run, Dubstep Dodgems, Black Light Forest Party, Yoga Nidra With Rob da Bank, Human Ball Pit, Musical Vegetable Orchestra, Wood Fired Hot Tubs, the WI, the World’s Largest Confetti Cannon & Disco Ball, Fireworks, Witness The Fitness Tent, Lit Tent, Loop Sessions, the Love Bot, Rainbow Astronauts and much more.

This is a great UK summer festival and to help you get there with as little fuss as possible we have teamed up with Festicket, Europe’s best music festival travel website –  simply click the image banner below and check out some of the great ticket and accommodation deals they have arranged for us!