Festival Guide: Standon Calling 2017

Name: Standon Calling

Where: Standon Lordship, Standon, Hertfordshire

When: 27-30 July 2017

Headliners: Grace Jones, Orbital, Clean Bandit, Editors…

Also Featuring: Slaves, Kate Tempest, Gary Numan, KT Tunstall, British Sea Power, Slow Club, Akala, Fickle Friends and more. See the full line-up here.

A Brief History: The festival began as a birthday barbecue for founder Alex Trenchard in 2001, before becoming a live music event in 2004 with a single stage and one day of music. The next year, they expand to have a second stage, and in 2006 had two days of music with a full-size main stage. In 2007, Standon Calling began the festival tradition of themed dress-up; 2008 saw it expand to 3 days of music. Since then the festival has expanded massively, turning into the fully-fledged festival it is today.

How To Get There: Ware or Bishop’s Stortford are the closest major train stations for Standon Calling, with local taxis available to transport you to the festival. The postcode for those driving is SG11 1EE, and you must book your car parking pass in advance.

Gigslutz Top Tip: Get into the theme. This year’s is Tales Of The Enchanted Valley, and those who dress up are in with a chance of winning tickets for next year…

Memorable Moments: An underwater disco in 2008 (the year of the Japanese culture theme) saw Standon Calling win the innovation award at the 2008 UK Festival Awards.

Did You Know? In the official inaugural year (2005), founder Alex Trenchard announced to visitors “Don’t go to bed!”. Performers dressed as fairies, who were hidden in the crowd, threw off their cloaks and led the festival-goers to a surprise all-night party.

How To Get Tickets: Visit http://standon-calling.com/tickets/