Busfest
Busfest (known before 2012 as Vanfest) is a three-day festival held annually in early September at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, Worcestershire, England, for owners of VW camper-vans - the Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter or "Bus". The festival started in 1994. It is truly international, with a large contingency travelling from Germany every year, as well as Netherland, France, Belgium, Sweden, USA and even one from Australia! (Who took over 6 months in 2015 travelling by road, to end the journey at BusFest).
Busfest is owned and produced by Vanfest Ltd and it is the largest VW Transporter festival in the world, with up to 9000 vans attending and 45,000 people. Simon Holloway owns the event and is also the Event Co-ordinator, and Neil Pickett is the Event Director. They are assisted by over 50 event professionals and 150 volunteers. Attendees camp in their vans at the camp-sites within the show-ground, where there are adequate and highly acclaimed sanitation facilities including showers and toilets. Access is not restricted to only those who camp - the festival is also open to day visitors. The festival has over 350 trade stands and a full daytime entertainment line up including two arenas with a full entertainment schedule, a fun fair, FunZone, various sideshows and displays and walkabout entertainers.
With seven live music stages on site, BusFest is world-famous for its evening entertainments - Glastonbury meets the VW Festival, you could say! The adult venue on site is The Marquee Stage, and recent bands to have played there include The X Factor Tour, Slade, Showaddywaddy, Dr & The Medics, The Drifters, Rockaoke, The Rubettes, The Commitments, Bad Manners, Right Said Fred, Brotherhood Of Man, Karen Coleman, Edwin Starr Band, to name but a few. The Severn Stage is the family venue, holding party nights with high quality impressionists and tribute bands. The SheepShed Stage hosts Rock, Alternative and local bands, whilst the Chill Out Stage hosts laid back beats and acoustic vibes. The Teme Stage is the 'pub band' & cheesy disco venue, and Main Street brings up the rear with the Disco Stage throwing out some pumping hardcore techno and trance, and further down, the Acoustic Stage does what it says on the tin!