Summerland festival: Sunny staycation … in the bleak midwinter

The festival’s tropical playground would give Londoners ‘holiday in a day’
Urban paradise: how Summerland would look. Its boss helped create Glastonbury’s Shangri-La zone
Alex Lawson @MrAlexLawson13 November 2015

Londoners will be able to get a taste of summer in the depths of winter without leaving the capital if a new festival goes ahead .

The organisers of Summerland, led by the mastermind of Glastonbury’s Shangri-La zone, are aiming to create a “tropical playground”. It will feature live music and DJs, hot tubs, treehouses, beach huts, an animated skyline and an indoor waterfall.

They plan to use Hollywood-style technology to build “a hyper-realistic film set with a real jungle”.

The festival’s planned location is being kept under wraps, but it is thought it would be an exhibition centre or warehouse-style building in inner London. Attendees would check in their phone and winter clothes at the door to “take a holiday in a day”.

The project, led by Deborah Armstrong, needs to raise £850,000 through crowdfunding platform Seedrs. It would run from December 12 next year to January 8, 2017.

Camden-born Armstrong co-founded Shangri-La in 2008, and it has become known as Glastonbury’s “after-hours” destination. Lady Gaga and Scissor Sisters are among the acts who have played secret gigs there.

Dressing Lady Gaga

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Armstrong told the Standard the event would be aimed at families during the day, with a “Santa on holiday” entertainer and yoga for parents, before becoming more grown-up at night. She said: “In the evening the capacity is higher, the bands are bigger, the dancers are raunchy and it generally goes off like the most ‘having it’ pool party imaginable. We will be bringing the quirky humour and attention to detail we are known for.”

Promoter Harvey Goldsmith is involved in the project, which has received the backing of singer Neneh Cherry and Games Of Thrones star Alfie Allen. Supporters can invest between £10 and £150,000.

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