GETTING CULTURED AT STANDON

A slew of nostaglic acts help Standon tow the line between current and throwback 

“Looooooove to the rhythm!” Grace Jones is the third Standon Calling headliner alongside Orbital and Clean Bandit.

It’s a triumphant mix of old and new for the festival, who specialise in making their lineups suit the whole family.

Jones redefined the female icon in the Eighties, her androgynous look and fearsome aesthetic changed minds about modern day femininity.

Towing the line between current pop and nostalgia, other acts playing include Editors, Kate Tempest, Slow Club and Lindstrom.

Start the day with yoga, and break off from bands with a mid-day dog show (a UK festival exclusive) on Sunday.

This year, a slew of other performances steer away from the music and toward a host of multi-disciplinary arts. There’s a live retelling of the Horrible Histories books for children, contemporary dance from Matthew Bourne’s Adventures, theatre and circus and dancing masterclasses.

For the full lineup, check Standon Calling’s website

GETTING TRASHED AT STANDON

This family-oriented festival changes shape by night, and becomes a mecca for clubbers

If you live in the countryside, you might be familiar with how rave culture repurposes old buildings for makeshift parties. Standon might be the modern gods of that scene, for every year they turn a cow shed into the Cow Shed: a serious nightclub with no sign of animals.

Every year the club is decked out to a theme, and this year’s is Tales of the Enchanted Valley, so expect folklorean twists and turns, and installations from ye olde Standon.

DJs playing this year include London dance outfit Horse Meat Disco, queer clubbers Sink the Pink (who throw a riotous party) and d’n’b game-changers Hospitality.

Elsewhere, drink artisan beer from local producers for a little Dutch courage; you’ll need it when you’re dragged centre stage at one of the all-new hip hop masterclasses, or how about beat boxing?

This compact festival on London’s northerly fringes even has its own swimming pool. Culture Or Trash remember fondly the year Friendly Fires played their hit track, Jump in the Pool. Summer, unwrapped.

For the full lineup, check Standon Calling’s website