Dropped from their own festival!

The open-air comedy and music festival pioneered by the Mighty Boosh could return next year – but without Noel and Julian.

Fielding and Barrett masterminded their own festival at Hop Farm in Kent last summer, headlining a bill that also included Ross Noble, Frankie Boyle, Gary Numan and The Charlatans.

However, the festival was widely considered less successful than many of the other outdoor festivals currently on the summer calendar.

That has not deterred music mogul Vince Power, who promoted last years’ event, to announce plans to revive the event. But in a snub to the Boosh boys, said he wants to ensure bigger comedy names grace the bill next time.

He told the London Evening Standard: ‘I would love to do it, not necessarily with the Mighty Boosh again, but with major, major acts like Peter Kay and Eddie Izzard. On a main stage with 25,000 people watching it.

‘ It shouldn’t be any different from rock’n’roll. In my opinion it’s a good idea to have a big main-stage open-air festival.’

Comedy is becoming a bigger part of many outdoor festivals such as Latitude and the Big Chill, and last year the Pimm’s Summerfest in London’s Holland Park attempted to combine the luxury of open-air classical music with some of the bigger names on the stand-up circuit.

Published: 3 Aug 2009