MORE THAN 6,000 party-goers enjoyed a weekend of sun, sound and celebration at last weekend’s Marvellous Tribute Festival.
On Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18, people flocked to Dinton Pastures for the annual event which sees tribute acts pay homage to a range of musical legends.
Pete Lincoln, one of the organisers, said the Festival was better than he could have ever imagined, after last year’s event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
“The atmosphere was unbelievable from start to finish,” he said. “Marvellous is a labour of love, so it’s a really feel-good feeling to see people enjoying themselves.”
Some of the headline acts included T Rextasy, Fleetwood Bac and Coldplace and Mr Lincoln said it was humbling to see the bands take to the stage after being unable to play live since March 2020.
“The bands were all over the moon to be gigging in front of an audience again,” he said. “Every one of them gave a tip-top, first-rate performance.”
Marvellous operated at 50% its usual capacity this year under the Government’s ‘stage 3’ covid guidelines, which saw up to 3,750 people admitted into the event per day.
Upon entering the park, people were given a handout explaining the range of covid measures in force, including hand sanitising stations and wearing masks when queuing for the bar.
They were also asked to take a covid test before arriving, and to use contactless payments where possible.
And Marvellous’ team felt that this guidance was respected by attendees.
“People were so relieved to be out in the open air, listening to live music,” Mr Lincoln added. “It was such a relief after the year we’ve had.
“You can’t police a 3,750 people crowd too heavy-handedly so we relied on people’s kindness, empathy and common sense. Because of the capped numbers, it felt really safe.”
Wokingham Borough Council was also on hand to monitor covid safety.
And the organiser’s highlight of the weekend was shedding a tear as he watched festivalgoers sing along to No Woman, No Cry with Legend, a Bob Marley and the Wailers’ tribute band.
“I lost it at one point when standing on the side of the stage,” Mr Lincoln explained. “I was completely welled up with emotion.
“I was looking at the band and how vibed up and happy they were, and looked at the audience who started to sing along, and the emotion just hit me. It felt really wonderful.”
Alongside the main stage acts, Marvellous also hosted a Big Kids’ Village, managed by Olivia Post.
It included a range of attractions for youngsters, including craft workshops and a Punch and Judy performance.
Mr Lincoln said none of it would have gone ahead without hard work behind the scenes.
“I’m so proud of the team,” he said. “Everyone rose to the challenge and it was brilliant.
“There were a lot of volunteers not earning a bean who went above and beyond the call of duty.”
Now, organisers are gearing up for next year’s Tribute Festival which is due to take place on the weekend of Saturday, July 23.
Information on Early Bird tickets will be announced soon.
For more information, visit: www.marvellousfestivals.com
