Postponed from 8th July, this year's event is to be held on Sunday 2nd of September in Abbeyfield Park. The show starts at 1pm and ends at 6pm. Admission is free to all. The event is now in its ninth year. The festival was awarded the Cohesion Award from the New Deal for Communities Achievement Awards 2004.
The event is considered to be the social highlight of the year in the culturally rich and diverse community of Burngreave. Last year saw over 8,000 people pass through the event over the day. This year the event had to postpone its date due to the water logging conditions on site through the excess flooding that hit Sheffield over the early summer months.
There will be two music entertainment stages at the event. The Main stage will feature a wide variety of acts from the community and far beyond. The sound system tent will host local DJ’s playing music with a deep rooted history in Burngreave. There will also be a central activity area. This will showcase an eclectic mix of dance from all corners of the globe. This year the main stage will be host to bigger acts with a wider appeal. Our headline act sees a welcome return from Celloman with special guest support from Peyoti for President.
The ‘Celloman’ sound has proven to be quite Unique. A blend of Middle Eastern and African rhythms, Eastern and Western classically inspired melodies, hypnotic harmonies and driving funky bass & drums. The Evening Standard says of the sound ““His 80-minute set blended jazz, world and classical musics in a strikingly natural way”. A fantastic live band, Celloman have been forging quite a reputation. After their performance at Womad in 2003, listeners of Late Junction on Radio 3 called it their favourite Womad moment. 2007 will see the release of the 3rd Celloman studio album ‘Sharptown’. At the 2005 Glastonbury festival, Celloman performed in the West Coast Dance tent together with ‘The Urban Soul Orchestra’. The band also performed with ‘Ballet Black’ at the Global Fusion Festival in Hastings. Since then in between a few select festival performances, Ivan has been hard at work on the band's latest album. Fingers crossed it will be launched at this year's Abbeyfield Festival.
Peyoti For President is a self-styled anti-hero. A high octane guitar slinger opposing musical lethargy and conformity. His hybrid style of contemporary world fusion is a combination of Hispanic, Brazilian, Arabic and Caribbean influence pinned together by a more western sensibility. With a voice sun drenched in debauched passion he is an inspired and gifted guitarist who attempts to seduce his audience with melody and serenity interjected with explosive bursts of punky mayhem. Playing with some of the most innovative and diverse world musicians, ‘Peyoti for President’ is truly unique. A gig unparalleled, a universe of unexplored territory – an atom about to be split wide open. Vote Peyoti,,! Vote Peyoti,,! Vote Peyoti,,! Vote Peyoti,,! Vote Peyoti,,! Vote Peyoti,,!
Other acts on the day include Sheffield legends Easy D & MC Rush who will be playing a special guest slot on the Sound System stage run by the local Jam Down Runnings Crew.
In addition there will be a huge fringe market, local business exhibitions, the activity area which houses an Ice skating rink run by Activity Sheffield and a Sheffield United Academy football skills display for the kids to get involved in. Activity Sheffield will also be hosting interactive sports and games for everyone. These are just a few elements that make the event Sheffield’s biggest and most popular community festival.