Festival Guide: On Blackheath

Name: On Blackheath

Where: Blackheath, South East London

When: 10th and 11th September, 2016

Headliners: Primal Scream, Belle & Sebastian, Hot Chip, James

Also Featuring: Squeeze, Roisin Murphy, Soak, Edwyn Collins, Saint Etienne

A Brief History: Despite the (misguided) common perception that north of the river is the place to be, On Blackheath sets the record straight – proving that fun can be had in this leafy, creative corner of the city. With two days of music, food and family entertainment, On Blackheath offers a wonderful communal and inclusive atmosphere. Born in 2012, On Blackheath combines some of the best music, fringe entertainment and local produce to create a fun-filled weekend with something for everyone!

How To Get There: You can get to Blackheath, Lewisham (the closest station to the festival) or Greenwich by train: on South Eastern Trains or the DLR. Alternatively, you could come by boat, on a Thames Clipper into Greenwich Pier and walk from there (25 minutes). OR there are of course a number of buses that stop close by: 53, 54, 89, 108, 202, 386, 380. Parking is limited, so driving to the festival is not advised.

Gigslutz Top Tip: As well the fantastic, legendary headliners (we’re especially excited about Belle & Sebastian), there are also some fantastic newer bands and artists gracing the stages over the weekend. We highly recommend catching the innovative creations of Duval Timothy (Stage 2, Saturday), or the energy-fuelled whirlwind of Spanish band The Parrots on the Heavenly Recordings stage on Sunday. For those with younger ones in tow, there’s also a Magical Storytelling Stage for some enchanting entertainment!

Memorable Moments: In its first proper year as a festival in 2014, On Blackheath hosted the likes of the incredible Massive Attack and last year Welsh rock legends Manic Street Preachers headlined. And, back in 2014, our Matt’s highlight was a memorable set from The Levellers.

Did You Know? In addition to music and children’s entertainment, for all those budding chefs out there, you can also get free cookery lessons at the festival!

More Info: Go to the On Blackheath website for info about tickets and everything else you need.

Playlist:

[spotify track=”spotify:user:gigslutz:playlist:10QDGM1xjXfJNkjtK8IPhI”]