Visit Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate and tune in to the music of Kent's Festive Isle.

Book your trip to the Isle of Thanet now and ensure you don't miss out on the great music events and festivals taking place in the resorts of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate this year, including Dreamland's 1st Birthday Soundclash, Margate Soul Festival's 10th Anniversary and the NEW Southbeats Festival at Quex Park.

For further information on Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate, including events, accommodation and attractions go to www.visitthanet.co.uk. 

Dreamland Margate's 1st Birthday – Soundclash – 18 June
Throughout the history of Dreamland, different social groups, music lovers and youth cults have spent their holidays in Margate and Dreamland.  The sights and sounds of these sub cultures will be represented by their sound systems in an event akin to Notting Hill Carnival, but with a Margate twist.  Dreamland's 1st Birthday Soundclash will get everyone in the party mood and is free with standard park entrance.

On the day entry - £17.95 adult, £14.95 child - book online in advance and save 15%.
www.dreamland.co.uk/events/listings/eventdetail/172/9/dreamland-soundclash

Skagate Margate – 1 to 3 July 
This is the second in a trilogy of events developed to celebrate the historical connection of Margate, to the British Skinhead subculture and its continued relationship with the original late 50's Jamaican music genre known as Ska. Spread across central Margate this event breaks down stereotypes and myths, bringing together a multicultural, national and international array of artists, performers and followers who embrace this 'Great British Sub Culture' with live & DJ performances, fashion, photography and film.

The line-up includes Freddie Notes, The Soul Radics, Curb Pilots, King Zepha, The Champions Inc, Toast, Dean Coulbourgh, Hannah Callum, Dave Ealand, Phil Templar, Steve Harrington, Martin Long, Jason Hughes, El Pan Pan, Mick Jeffery, James Allen and more.

£15 day pass, £25 full weekend
www.skagate.com

Margate Soul Festival – 5 to7 August
Margate Soul Festival is Kent's signature soul music festival, this year celebrating its 10th anniversary.  The festival offers a unique combination of ticketed large-scale live shows, free and family-friendly street performances and the most eclectic mix of club nightlife, starting at 8pm.

Acts this year include The British Collective (aka TBC), Soul II Soul with Jazzie B and Caron Wheeler, Snowboy, Jean Carn, Shirley Jones (The Jones Girls), Kathy Sledge and Ce Ce Peniston.

Tickets – VIP Experience £80, Standard Weekend £60, Saturday Day Tickets £40, Sunday Day Tickets £35.
www.margatesoulfestival.co.uk

Broadstairs Folk Week – 5 to 12 August
This hugely popular annual festival by the sea, now in its 51st year, takes place all around Broadstairs, in fact it's hard to find a venue during the week that isn't bursting with music, song or dance! 

Ticketed events start on Friday 5 and the free entertainment, including the Craft and Music Fair, begins on Saturday 6 August.  The first full day of Folk Week is the Saturday and from then until the final Friday there is an absolutely packed programme of around 70 events a day. Regular fixtures are: the Hobby Horse Club at the Bandstand, dances and shows at the Pavilion, the Sailing Club Face the Music, a children's programme, workshops and music, plus song and dance around the pubs.  Acts include Nancy Kerr and The Sweet Visitor Band, Altan, Andy Fairweather Low and The Low Riders and The Young 'Uns.

Thursday 11th August is declared as Pirates Day, with Captain Kipper at the Hobby Horse Club, a Pirate themed Family Ceilidh, Here Be Pirates afternoon at the Pavilion and a late night ceilidh/dance with Blackbeard's Tea Party. Aaargh.....

You can buy tickets for single events as well as Festival Day Tickets or Weekend or Week tickets - with or without camping.
www.broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk

BuggedOut! In Dreamland, Margate –24 September
Promising to be an-end-of-summer session like no other, BuggedOut! at Dreamland is shaping up to be one of the not-to-miss parties for the diaries of any fun-loving, electronic music head. Internationally revered duo Groove Armada will add their high energy set to the festival on 24 September, along with The Martinez Brothers, Richy Ahmed, Joy Orbison, Artwork, Ben UFO and Jackmaster.

Margate's retro retreat Dreamland will be transformed into a festival setting like no other. A staple of the seaside town for many decades, Dreamland is the perfect location for BuggedOut's off-kilter musical explorations, bringing the fun back to electronic music. Between the rides, arcades, emporium and arenas to explore, Dreamland promises a surreal hyper-reality experience, all to be sound-tracked by the biggest names in dance and electronic music.

Ravers can revel in the surreal setting, dipping in and out of fairground fun, between catching sets from their favourite DJs and live acts.

Tickets can be booked on https://www.dreamland.co.uk/events/listings/eventdetail/182/9/buggedout-in-dreamland

Southbeats Festival, Quex Park, Birchington – 24 September
This is Kent's newest outdoor music event, which will welcome 10,000 festival goers to Birchington's historic Quex Park.

The festival will showcase some of the UK's biggest DJs and chart-topping artists across multiple stages.  Amongst the first acts announced is British grime and hip hop heavyweight Kano, drum and bass duo Camo and Krooked and Philip George, who has two debut UK top 5 singles to his name.  Also playing at the festival is Low Steppa, Friction, TQD (Royal-T, DJ Q, Flava D), KISS FM's Majestic, Craig Crompton and local duo Shapes.

The main headliner and the next wave of artists will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Tickets are currently priced at £32.50 plus booking fee and are on sale now.  VIP tickets are also available and offer 'an exclusive VIP area, luxury toilets, gourmet food stalls, private VIP bar, free lanyard/programme and more.'

To buy tickets and for all the latest announcements, go to www.southbeatsfestival.com

By The Sea, Dreamland Margate – 30 September and 1 October
Following a sensational, sold-out launch year, By the Sea is back.  This is the only UK festival to combine big name artists and the hottest rising bands, amidst a unique and quintessentially British setting – the iconic Dreamland Margate amusement park.

Headlining this year's festival on the Friday is Welsh rock royalty the Super Furry Animals and Mercury-nominated indie band Wild Beasts .  The headline act for Saturday is Camden alt-rock quartet Wolf Alice, who won this year's NME award for Best Live Band.  Wolf Alice will be joined by another special guest act, which will be announced on 1 July.

Also appearing across the weekend will be Mystery Jets, Ibibio Sound Machine, The Big Moon, Joe Goddard, Bill Ryder Jones, Jagwar Ma, Anna Meredith and Let's Eat Grandma.

In addition to the stellar music line-up, guests will be able to take advantage of the park's many attractions, including the Hurricane Jets and Big Top rides, the Monotopia monorail and the vintage arcade room.  The dodgems will be sound-tracked by DJs and there will be intimate acoustic sets in Margate Museum.

Day tickets are priced at £37.50, weekend tickets are £67.50.  Both include entrance to Dreamland amusement park.  Tickets on sale now – www.bytheseafestival.com
www.dreamland.co.uk

And finally, a venue all music lovers should have on their radar - Ramsgate Music Hall – winner of NME's (New Musical Express), Britain's Best Small Venue 2016.  It's an intimate 140 capacity venue, with the finest quality sound system and a great bar on the top floor.

Highlights coming up include: Fat White Family - 17 June, Terry Hall - 18 June, Baby Bam (Jungle Brothers) –1 July, Fortuna Pop! Festival 15/16 July, Goldie Looking Chain – 29 July.  Check out the full listing on www.ramsgatemusichall.com

ENDS

Press enquiries:
Please contact Julie Edwards, Thanet Tourism on 01843 577671 or Julie.edwards@thanet.gov.uk

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