Dorset’s best loved community festival is counting down to its first ever three-dayer!
This year’s Grooves on the Green sees the popular weekend of family-friendly live music, food and drink expanded to include an 80s Night to open proceedings on Friday 21 June, before the familiar all-day line ups on Saturday and Sunday 22 and 23 June.
Opening night is an 80s special – with full fancy dress encouraged – and headlined by well-known Queen tribute Majesty with support from local outfit BH-Rock. Other attractions include a 360° photo booth with 80s props and DJ Allan Turner-Ward overseeing the action.
Saturday headliners The Decatonics are a gutsy, female-fronted eight-piece ska band who have played a host of festivals and supported ska legends The Skatalites, The Beat and Neville Staple, as well as The Undertones. Also on the bill are local favourites Brass Monkeys, Soulhole and All Rocked Up, with the Killerz tribute act and a rare outing for Volatile Agents, the medical marvels whose line-up includes doctors, surgeons, theatre medics and a member of the judiciary.
Sunday gets underway in the company of everyone’s favourite ukulele party starters, the Mother Ukers with big-voiced rocker Chris Payn, energetic covers band The Few and ska regulars Rat Race lining up before south coast rockers SOS take the headline slot.
As ever, there’s a strong emphasis on local food producers at Grooves on the Green with mouth-watering highlights including The Bao Beast, Greek Catering 4U, Chicken & Blues, Bratwurst UK and Funky Fries, not to mention the sweet treats of South Coast Sweet Delights and Ice Cream Bournemouth.
Grooves never forgets the younger audience and a strong family programme features the madcap talents of Krazy Kev, Squidge & Pop’s bubble show, Little Gizmo’s Meet and greet, Jamie Jigsaw and a fire show, as well as circus skills workshops.
Grooves on the Green runs from 4pm on Friday and 11am on Saturday and Sunday with bars closing at 9pm on Friday and Saturday and 7pm on Sunday when the park will be opened to the public again.