Nicola Foley reviews Haggis Farm’s family festival
The day after the organisers bought a stonking line-up of urban artists to Haggis Farm for Strawberries & Creem, it was over to The Cambridge Club Festival for an altogether different party.
Billed as “Cambridge’s family festival”, this day-long shindig delivered on its promise of creating a party which all ages could enjoy together. Fun and silliness was the mood of the day, and you couldn’t help but be charmed by the sight of generations of the same family dancing together in the sunshine on Father’s Day. With such a mix of ages in attendance, the programmers did a fantastic job of curating a line-up of acts with universal appeal, opting for a funk, soul and disco focus. Uncle Funk & The Boogie Wonderband proved consummate crowd-pleasers with their high-energy party classics (Earth, Wind & Fire, Chic and The Village People featured), while 6 Music DJ Craig Charles was clearly enjoying himself as he delved into his expansive record collection for a blinding set that romped through 70s grooves and vintage soul, from The Chi-Lites to Rick James.
The attention to detail around the site was great, from the mum-pleasing Cambridge Made craft market to the kid’s area and the collection of up-and-coming acts doing their thing on the second stage, there was plenty to discover beyond the main stage. The food offering was a cut above your usual festival fare as well, with top food trucks serving everything from dim sum to artisan pizza.
Without a doubt though, it was the iconic headline performance from Sister Sledge that stole the show, getting the entire crowd on its feet and singing together as the sun set. With still-flawless vocals, the sibling hitmakers delighted in showcasing their impressive back catalogue, effortlessly demonstrating why they dominated the charts for so long. Lost in Music was a great moment, but We Are Family brought the house down, rounding off the day in style.
Music aside, one thing that Cambridge Club gets major kudos for in my book is the organisation – as someone who attends a lot of festivals, experiencing zero queues at bars and loos was a very welcome novelty. The toilets were well looked after too – again, a rarity at events such as this, but a detail that matters.
With smooth organisation, a fun music line-up, great food and plenty of activities to keep kids and grown-ups happy, The Cambridge Club Festival is a perfect family day out – I’ve already got next year’s date (14 June), in my diary.
