Friday Night Royal Opening

Brand new for this year we'll be opening up the Lobster Quadrille Dancehall and the White Rabbit Bar a night early for a very special launch party. Featuring our very own royal marriage of the spectacular Queen tribute band KINGS OF QUEEN and Elvis impersonator WESLEY PRESLEY, the new fully-covered stage will be rocking out to the classics of the King and Queen. Entry is free to all Weekend ticket-holders as an extra bonus to the festival. Separate tickets for this one-off event are also available from our tickets order form.

The Lobster Quadrille Dancehall

As another first for the festival, all stages this year will be fully covered, so whatever the weather you can enjoy our entire timetable of musical treats. The Lobster Quadrille Dancehall has the most diverse line-up of talent that any of our stages have to offer; you'll find something for everyone on here! THE BOOMTOWN RATS, THE SELECTER, HAYSEED DIXIE, THE PINK FLOYD DIMENSION, THE LADYKILLERS, DAVID GOO, MOZZY GREEN, ALICEBAND and loads more, in quite possibly our best line-up yet.

The Lobster Quadrille Dancehall Line-Up

The Rabbit-hole Acoustic Marquee

The Acoustic Marquee has always been incredibly popular, with some festival-goers barely leaving it for the whole weekend. This year we have another incredible line-up of acoustic talent. Featuring a rare opportunity to see an acoustic set from DODGY, the legendary HANK WANGFORD, plus local heroes such as PANDORA'S BOX, HAPPENIN' BOY and PATRICK WALKER it's another sure-fire feast of acoustic talent.

The Rabbit-hole Acoustic Marquee Line-Up

The Ace Of Spades Stage

Now in it's 3rd year, the alternative stage has become THE place to be to see up and coming rockstars and our favourite bands currently thriving in the ever-expanding local music scene. Come here for punk, indie, metal, blues rock and experimental noise masters. This year's line up features the awesome PULLED APART BY HORSES, ROBOTS IN DISGUISE, THE STRANGERHOOD, BURN SO BRIGHT, ROSES IN ROME, GARRISON FINISH, SECRET CINEMA BAND... we can't list them all here, but it's a raucous feast!

The Ace Of Spades Rock Stage Line-Up

The White Rabbit Bar

Oh, my fur and whiskers - what a treat there is in store for you wonderlanders as you follow the White Rabbit signs to the Festival Bar and Cluzion Club open stage. Come and hear from special guests and open stage performers throughout the weekend plus a welcome return for John Mann's Comedy Club. Hoppity-hop around to featured sets by celtic-latin fun-bunnies Doghouse, space-bunnies That Legendary Wooden Lion featuring the one and only Cardinal Biggles, blues bunnies Gumbo and Steve Ingrey, croon-bunny Mike Johnson and many more.

Sign up early for the open slots throughout the weekend and join the mix. Add to this the Wonderland Charity Balloon Race, best rabbit impersonation photo competition and other wabbit welated widiculousness and there's truly something for everyone down the rabbit hole. This years bar will stock your favourite Green Tye Brewery festival ales, seriously wonderful ciders from Millwhites, lagers, wines, soft drinks (with or without rum or vodka) and fruity jugs of Pyms to capture that early Summer vibe.

Silent Dance Tent

Now we've been fully aware of a severe lack of electronic music at SMF in the past, but have been restricted for various reasons. This year, however, sees the very welcome addition of the SILENT DANCE TENT. A whole marquee dedicated to dance featuring the finest DJ's selected by the trail-blazing RESIDENT RAVERS. You'll find the best in drum & bass, dubstep, trance, electronica and loads more via your own headset rigged up to our in-house DJs.

The Silent Dance Tent Line-up

Resident Ravers website

The Queen Of Arts Stage

The Arts Tent has a packed programme for all the family. In preparation for the 2nd Stortford Film Festival later in May we will be screening the best short films from the first festival in 2010 including award-winning shorts from local filmmakers! Amongst the acts on stage will be Efua Sey’s African drummers and dancers, drama workshops with Actability, and The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party scene from Water Lane Theatre Company’s recent production of Alice.

We will be bringing our days to a close with performances from Tony Winn and Wendy Solomon. This year we will also be introducing arts and crafts stalls with demonstrations and workshops, so come and discover your artistic talents.

The Queen Of Arts Stage Line-Up

Children's Tent

For the children this year we are pleased to welcome Jan’s Van all the way from Cornwall. Jan will be entertaining young visitors with games, drama, puzzles, dressing up and chalking on her incredible chalkboard van. (Picture Copyright © 2008 Jenny Bell)

Don’t forget to visit the Queen of Arts Tent too for family activities including drama and art workshops.

The Wonderland Market

A large selection of stallholders and traders will be populating the festival site once again with a selection offering everything from arts and crafts to fair-trade lunches, CDs, toys and clothes. A brand new addition for this year will be the MAD HATTER'S TEA PARTY, an alternative place to chill-out and refresh.

See some of the stalls we have coming to the festival.

If you're interested in having your own stall at this year's festival then please email us at info@stortfordmusicfestival.org.uk.