Five stages, a decade of soul legends and Surrey’s sunniest crowd of the summer – here’s how Boogietown marked its fifth birthday in style.
Boogietown, the UK’s dedicated home for disco, funk and soul, celebrated its fifth anniversary on Saturday 11th July at Apps Court Farm in Walton-on-Thames – and by the look of the crowd, it was the biggest one yet. Five years on from its first outing, the festival has grown into a proper fixture of the summer calendar, and this year’s edition pulled together one of its strongest bills to date across five stages of continuous music.
There was barely a corner of the site without something happening. UK disco don Norman Jay MBE held court behind the decks, while soul and R&B royalty Shalamar, Gabrielle, Billy Ocean and Sister Sledge brought the sing-alongs. Jocelyn Brown and Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King kept the classic soul contingent more than happy, house anthem queen Robin S had the crowd word-perfect, and The Shapeshifters and Soul II Soul closed things out with the kind of sets that don’t let you leave the dancefloor. Holding it all together were MCs Nick Coulson and Jonny Meah, on hosting duties across the day.
Produced by JBM Music, Boogietown has quietly built a reputation as one of the UK’s best-loved genre festivals since launching five years ago, and this anniversary edition felt like a statement of intent: bigger stages, a deeper line-up, and a crowd that turned out in force to prove disco, funk and soul still know how to throw a party. From the first record of the day to the last, the atmosphere across Apps Court Farm was pure celebration.
Below we’re sharing some of the very best photos snapped at the festival – from the crowd letting loose across all five stages to Gok Wan on the decks and the headliners in full flight. Scroll down for our pick of the best photos from Boogietown’s fifth anniversary.
Images Gemma Parker
