Mucky Weekender

Twenty-eight acres of private parkland north of Winchester host this three-day gathering across four stages, one of them tucked away in woodland. Run by Dub Pistols frontman Barry Ashworth, the programming leans heavily on bass-driven music, drum and bass, reggae and dub sit alongside house, disco, funk, soul and hip-hop, with established names sharing the bill with newer DJs and live acts. The scale is deliberately small at 5,000 people, and the atmosphere reflects that, with a costume theme each year, fire performers, circus acts and street theatre filling the gaps between sets. Music runs into the early hours on Friday and Saturday, with a quieter Sunday for packing down. This is a strictly over-16s event, so it tends to suit those after a compact, sociable party weekend rather than a family-oriented one.