Boomtown Festival (Day Three): A Final Day of Hidden Delights, Quirky Bands and Legendary Names [Photos]

Boomtown Festival is not just a festival; it’s an immersive experience that challenges the traditional boundaries of music events. In recent years, the festival organizers have chosen not to release the lineup until a couple of weeks before the event so that Boomtown draws in a crowd that values atmosphere and adventure as much as the music itself.

It was then onto the final day of Boomtown Festival, and the sun was out in full force once more. I had a great day lined up with some legendary bands and artists and some that were highly recommended to me.

First up was Fat Freddy’s Drop. Whenever I asked festival goers who they were excited to see this weekend, this was a name that came up regularly. The music of this New Zealand-based band was described on the Boomtown Festival App as “a mixture of jazz virtuosity and diaphragm-wrecking digital sonics.” I can’t say I knew what that meant until I arrived at the Grand Central stage for their set. The seven-piece band had a mixture of brass musicians, DJs, singers and guitarists.

They weaved through chilled reggae sounds and heavy techno beats, and the crowd loved it. The set ended with a drum and bass-sounding track with huge confetti cannons blasting off at the drop. I can see why they were so highly recommended. An incredible band to see live, and like nothing I’ve seen before.

Following that electrifying performance, I was desperate to head back to the Old Town, to a little stage I had been seeing between performances, Foggers Mill. This tiny stage looked slightly hidden, but most things in the Old Town looked like they were holding some kind of secret. It was an area where punters should expect to find “Dark Blues, Twisted Country, Cowpunk, Rockabilly, Punk and a touch of Gospel Tinged Religious Fervor with more Banjo’s than should be legal.”

I was just in time to see Pronghorn, a cowpunk band that formed in the early 90s. As soon as the banjo began, it was a real knees-up in the Foggers Mill tent. They’d gathered a good-sized crowd who were all dancing along to the beat and having a great time.

Unfortunately, I had to leave before the end of their set to rush back to the Grand Central stage for what was arguably the most legendary act at this year’s Boomtown—Damian Marley. As I was making my way to the photo pit, I noticed that this must have been the largest crowd I had seen so far that weekend. It was difficult making my way down to the front. The youngest son of the late Bob Marley took the stage with a full band, accompanied by long-time team member Judah, who proudly waved the banner of Rastafari throughout the performance.

It was a beautiful set, where he performed some of his own songs and covers of his late father’s music. He began his set with “Nail Pon Cross” and a chilled version of “Make It Burn Dem”, which he originally collaborated with Skrillex on. He ended the set with “Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley and the Wailers, calling out, “Boomtown, we love you!” before departing the stage. The love was felt across the festival grounds. The sun was beaming down, and everyone was in high spirits.

As the crowd dispersed, I knew I needed to head for shade and began winding through the streets to see what I could find. Along the way, I caught a bit of Gen and the Degenerates in Hangar 161. A really fun set with encouraged crowd participation. At one point, we were all asked to stand up and join in with a dance routine for one of the songs. I felt like this was a perfect way to get everyone up and dancing, as it did feel that the sun had zapped everyone’s energy before this. I then came across 47Soul, a Palestinian electronic dance music group formed in Jordan. Their groovy beats drew in passing punters, and this created a really nice atmosphere.

The penultimate band for me this weekend was Henge. Now, I knew a little bit about Henge before getting to their set, so I had a vague idea of what to expect. The lost, vacant expressions from some members of the Boomtown Festival crowd proved that some had arrived with no preconceptions at all. The Manchester group play a type of electronic crossover rock which they call ‘Cosmic Dross’.

They are also dressed head to toe in alien-like costumes as they play fictional characters pretending they are on a mission from out of space to travel to Planet Earth and learn about humankind. Whilst their music is strange beyond compare, they have clearly amassed a huge fan base, as the entire barrier was taken up with fans singing along to every word. I am so glad I finally caught them and would love to see them again now I know what to expect.

Last, but by no means least, I headed to the Origin stage to see the Pendulum DJ Set, which would be the final big act of the weekend. I started to make my way down to the photo pit and soon came to the realization that would be an impossible mission, as it felt as though every festival goer had come to the same place. I instead opted to watch from the front of the house, and looking back, I’m glad I did.

From here, I could really take in the full show, as the Origin stage is possibly one of the largest stages I’ve ever seen. The light show from this point of view was spectacular. Lasers pointed off in every direction, smoke and fire blasted to the beat of the music, and the flags from the crowd added to the visual effects too. As someone who doesn’t know a lot about dance music, I was in awe of the way the music ebbed and flowed and how the lights and pyro were perfectly synchronized with the music.

Overall, I am so glad I went to Boomtown Festival this year. It’s a festival I’ve been putting off for a while, as I always thought it was only for those who liked to rave and listen to drum and bass or techno. I was proven wrong, but I had an amazing time. I saw live bands and artists of a huge range of genres, and the interactive storyline is a clever touch that makes this festival stand out from the rest. It’s a very well-thought-out event that will please most music and festival lovers alike.

Boomtown Festival returns from August 6th-10th, 2025; for ticket information, head over to the Boomtown website here.

Check out Lorna Leahy’s extensive photo gallery from Day Three here:

Boomtown Festival (Day Three) @ South Downs National Park (Winchester, UK) on August 11th, 2024

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