Teddy Rocks Festival 2024
at Charisworth Farm in Blandford, UK
photos and words by Phoebe Reeks

Charisworth Farm in the Dorset countryside once again hosted the ever-growing Teddy Rocks Festival in a huge three-day event featuring an excellent music and entertainment line-up. Festival founder Tom Newton started this festival several years ago in memory of his younger brother Ted; what originally started as a gig in the local pub has now grown into a hugely successful and popular event. Since starting their journey, the festival has raised huge amounts of money for children’s cancer charities that offer support to children and their families affected by cancer.

This year, a few changes were made with a line-up of amazing tribute bands taking over the main stage and smaller or touring bands/artists popping up on the other stages (Vocalzone Stage, the Big Man Big Top Stage and the Merry Woodland Stage). As the weekend was set to feature an array of entertainment, that’s exactly what Teddy Rocks did as they offered a mix of local, national, and international acts, especially on the Vocalzone stage which saw acts such as Chlorine, The Clause, Girlband, Myriad, Crystal Tides, The Kairos, and many more.

Opening the main stage on the Friday were local DJs Tor Da Force and Sara Blow who got the crowd pumped for some big pop acts to follow. Liberty X arrived on stage, kicking things off with ‘Just a Little’ before Atomic Kitten followed up featuring hits such as ‘Eternal Flame’ and ‘Ladies Night’. Later in the day, Five brought all the hits including ‘Got the Feelin’, ‘Slam Dunk (Da Funk)’ and the clear crowd favourite ‘Keep On Movin’ and in true nineties/noughties fashion, the performances from these acts were highly choreographed as they made their way through hit after hit. They brought high levels of nostalgia and created the perfect party vibe to kickstart the weekend. Continuing the dance party atmosphere, DJ Sammy smashed out an array of pop classics, including ‘Heaven’ and ‘Boys of the Summer’, that sent the festival crowd into a frenzy as they all screamed such hits at the top of their lungs, the reflection of hearing it for the first time plastered on various faces as they smiled from ear to ear.

Both Saturday and Sunday saw a brilliant line-up of tribute acts, including QE2 (Queen), Live/Wire (AC/DC), Guns 2 Roses (Guns n’ Roses), Hi-On Maiden (Iron Maiden), The Fillers (The Killers), One Step Behind (Madness), blonk-182 (blink 182), Ed Sheeran Experience (Ed Sheeran), Chasing Mumford (Mumford & Sons), Dookie (Green Day), Riot (Paramore) and Foo Forgers (Foo Fighters); these acts provided an incredible set of hits and had the crowd singing along.

Returning to the stage, Newton’s band, The Bottom Line, gave an energetic performance on the Big Man Top stage whilst later on, Shaun Williamson provided a huge audience of fans with his viral Barrioke, encouraging members of the audience to get up on stage and sing alongside him. This stage also saw some acts aimed towards a younger audience, including CBBC’s Hacker T. Dog present a DJ set, and Slay Duggee, who performed metal versions of children’s songs/nursery rhymes – both of which drew a crowd of energetic kids! This stage also saw a packed-out show from Somerset legends The Wurzels on Saturday, and a late DJ set from Dick and Dom on Sunday.

2024 saw another brilliant line-up. It was a weekend that hosted a huge variety of genres spread over the different stages, guaranteeing that there was something for everyone! As to be expected with Teddy Rocks, the festival provided the perfect balance between areas to listen to music and areas to socialise, as well as plenty of activities for the families in attendance. From fun-fair rides, workshops, and inflatables to various stalls and small businesses, the festival made sure to cater to every audience possible and ensure a great weekend was inevitable.