Glastonbury Festival Of Contemporary Performing Arts - Areas - Arcadia

After last year’s triumph, Arcadia have relocated to a bigger field where a new, fully animated, 360 degree stage will be setting the festival ablaze. Find it on the far side of Theatre and The Green Fields.

Arcadia are a young, experimental company who take military scrap and turn it on its head to create positive environments for the purpose of celebrating life by incorporating circus acts, special effects and cutting edge technologies to create a huge, unforgettable 360 degree show.

Pictures above, both by Paul Holmes

THE ARENA
With a stellar cocktail of jaw dropping pyrotechnics and visionary special effects, the main arena is a 360-degree experience. Tesla coils crackle with millions of volts of channeled lightning and the mammoth Funktion One sound system rolls out the absolute cream of sonic engineering as death defying circus acts rip through all conceivable physical limits to extend pure sensory illumination.

Picture: Duchess
 
THE MIDNIGHT SHOW: THE SPIDER AWAKES
As midnight strikes across Glastonbury, the Arcadia show moves to the next level. ‘The Spider Awakes’ bursts into life, with every last weapon in the Arcadia arsenal distilled into one frenetic flood of technology, music, white-hot visuals and scorching performance. Creating a multi-sensory rollercoaster, the show unites every fragment of Arcadia’s capabilities, every aspect of technological sorcery and every drop of artistic mystery. Exclusive to the festival, ‘The Spider Awakes’ synthesizes the latest manifestations of the impossible that have emerged from of the Arcadia laboratories.

MUSIC: FROM 6PM-3AM
From 6pm until 3am daily, the stage will host an array of DJs and live acts creating the finest in genre busting musical mayhem.

Friday starts with a vibrant mix of sublime beatboxing and bass-drenched gypsy vibes before rampaging into cutting edge heavy breaks and climaxing in a live drum and bass meltdown with the Dirtyphonics.
 
Saturday’s journey begins with the extraordinary Hidden Orchestra creating pure atmosphere before the party rhythms start to drop, ripping up the whirlwind deep into the night, where a psychedelic tinge will be infiltrating the sound as it morphs into a spellbinding peak with an exclusive DJ set from Orbital.

As Sunday settles across Arcadia, roots vibes are the order of the day with incredible dub, dance hall, reggae and ska from legends including Neville Staple of The Specials alongside Macka B adding smiles across the groove. As the sunset descends the masters jostle with fresh electric fresh talent including Gentleman’s Dub Club until the Spider’s show returns to the heart of the matrix.

AROUND THE AREA
Also in Arcadia, you’ll find the fabled Chai Wallahs providing a range of awesome sounds plus some spicy brews from the early afternoon until the break of dawn. Expect a fine line-up of emerging artists to take you on a complete musical journey.
 
There’s also a seating, sculpture and fire area so you can take a short break from the full blown onslaught in the grip of the Spider, where you can watch events unfold and take in the overwhelming majestic onslaught of Arcadia.

2011 LINE-UP (in descending order)

THURSDAY
JAMES WONKA
MILLION WAY

FRIDAY
DIRTYPHONICS
STANTON WARRIORS
"SPIDER"
DEEKLINE & ED SOLO
DR MEAKER
GYPSY UNIT
ORKESTRA DE SOL
DJ SMERINOFF
BOXETTES
DUB FX

SATURDAY
ORBITAL DJ SET
ATOMIC DROP
"SPIDER"
TOM REAL
BONZE
MONK3Y LOGIC
WOBBLY SQUADRON
KORMAC (DJ SET)
DUB MAFIA
DEPARTURE LOUNGE DJS
HIDDEN ORCHESTRA

SUNDAY
CALYX & TEEBEE / MC CARASEL
SL2 & MC RIBBZ
"SPIDER"
GENTLEMANS DUB CLUB
DUB BOY
NEVILLE STAPLE OF THE SPECIALS
MUNGO'S HIFI & SOOM T
MACKA B
STEVE BEDLAM
RESONATORS
JINX IN  DUB