Marvellous Festival, the brainchild of directors Steve Stanton and Pete Lincoln, was established in 2003 as a ‘tribute festival’ with a strong family-friendly bias. The ensuing years have spawned many imitators, some of which have come and gone, but Marvellous remains the biggest, best and longest-running of them all.
My Wokingham spoke to Pete the day he returned from performing in Sweden as frontman of the 70s iconic band Smokie (of Living Next Door To Alice fame) before flying off for more gigs in Denmark.
The festival was named after Pete’s catchphrase as everyone said he went around saying everything was ‘marvellous’. Back in the early noughties, Steve and Pete were professional musicians in Reading. As part of a duo, Pete’s partner decided to go in a different direction, and they played a farewell gig. Steve was there and he said that for every farewell there is an opportunity for a reunion or a tribute – and the rest is history.
Originally located at Wellington Country Park, Pete’s duo reunited to support the Bootleg Beatles the first year. Pete said: “Even though the early years had their difficulties, in time we developed a successful formula.”
A real labour of love, Pete admits there is little time off once the grounds have been cleared of debris from the last festival. “We literally have August to recover and then it’s back into planning phase for the next year.”
Marvellous now boasts its own ‘groupies’ with die-hard fans returning year after year. People who went as children are now bringing their own children and it’s that family-friendly vibe that gives it its successful formula. Pete added: “We are fiercely proud of the event; I think it captures the right atmosphere giving people a taste of what a festival is like in a safe, family-friendly environment.” 2023 sees the 20th anniversary of Marvellous taking place over the weekend of July 21st to 23rd at Dinton Pastures Country Park, providing a huge variety of entertainment for all ages. The festival moved to Dinton Pastures in Hurst in 2016, providing an easily accessible venue.
The main stage features 14 world-class tributes, including Queen, Taylor Swift, Tina Turner, Foo Fighters, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Fleetwood Mac and more, with the final performance on the Sunday evening from Wild Boys who took the crowd by storm at last year’s festival and are guaranteed to have the whole place jumping with their tribute to the greatest hits of the 80s.
As well as his work with Smokie, Pete’s career has seen him work with a wide range of artists, including Shakin’ Stevens, The Sweet and Sir Cliff Richard. Originally from Newcastle, Pete has returned to his northern roots – but it was that chance meeting on the Berkshire music circuit all those years ago that has shaped the last 20 years.
For more information, visit www.marvellousfestivals.com
