The Grand Return of CrownFest

The first week into July, and two local festivals of five ticked off! CrownFest went down a hit with those who attended this fantastic reputation repair job….

CrownFest at The Crown in Bishops Cannings spawned in 2022, providing landlords sustainability and was a lesson into how to run a lively, community-driven village pub. A majority of the village turned out with a sprinkling of townsfolk, but there was always a handful of killjoy villagers frowning upon it.

Once its reputation preceded itself, the following year saw much greater attendance, particularly from outside the village. Little did we know, due to the vocal minority’s protest, its pinnacle would be its demise. After a furious and often ludicrous campaign, including claiming proprietors stole a gorilla statue from Scotland, didn’t get permission to paint their outside bar, and other petty, police time-wasting falsehoods, with pitchforks at dawn they drove the landlords out and replaced them with another determined to shut out villagers with paid parking and convert the premises into an overpriced Conservative gastro restaurant.

As prime real estate, if it was an unstable era for The Crown, it was short-lived. The proceeding landlady knowingly committed election fraud in a bid for a seat on the council and, once exposed, waddled off with her tail between her legs. The thing is, you couldn’t have imagined this political ballyhoo backstory at the sun shiny CrownFest 2026, much less cared about it.

Undertaking the task of repairing the Crown’s former communal reputation, CrownFest was the icing on the new landlord’s cake. Organiser Eddie Prestidge of Stone Circle marched proudly past me, suggesting I quoted him on “they said I’d never squeeze twelve bands into one day!” But he did, and still it was quality over quantity.

I rocked up to see the end of The Publicans, a vigorously adroit Irish folk collective, and things looked healthy and happy at CrownFest already. A trailer stage with a control tower breathed top class technical production, with a second stage, campervans and tents to the rear of the site, and nestled in-between, a generous helping of attendees.

Again, in this saturated market, this festival could’ve and should’ve attracted more. They’re building back from the vacant years, but all the ingredients to a great festival were present here; note, for next year.

Fundraising for the Wiltshire Hope & Harmony charity, who create dementia choirs, the surroundings of CrownFest are beautiful, the pub is alive once again, and friendly faces came to enjoy themselves. Even the outdoor gents were proper posh and clean!

Time to check the second stage while Welsh tribute Ant Trouble tuned on the main. Two’s Company stood in at the last moment for Lucas Hardy. As the name might suggest an accomplished duo with John E Wright on bass, wonderfully performing folk-rock singalongs.

Ruby Darbyshire followed, once again holding the crowd spellbound with the perfect balance of covers and originals. After this sublime performance it was time for some ant music!

Perhaps it was niche and retrospective, but I and most others enjoyed it. I’ve been looking forward to seeing Ant Trouble again since they rinsed Swindon’s Vic three years ago, especially since the band wishes to end this tribute in order to concentrate on their original electro art-punk outfit, Head Noise. They came out firing on all cylinders with their tribute to Adam and the Ants; elders who understood (the family) and even the kids loved its lively punk-fantasy vibes.

Everything from then on was a Stone Circle showcase; the best acts you’ll find them putting onto pub and club gigs. Out of all our local festivals this undoubtedly supports local acts most and this, to me, is a very important point.

Starter, George Wilding. The real prince charming, the friendliest local human jukebox you’re ever likely to meet, with that golden voice raised the roof appeasing punters who yell out their requests and join him in chorus; legend in his own shirt!

A kindly talented fellow of George’s calibre rounding off with Three Lions on a Shirt, when we were still in doubt of Monday’s outcome, and Bohemian Rhapsody, wasn’t going to make the stage easy for anyone following with a policy of originals only, but it wouldn’t deter Wiltshire’s finest indie-pop darlings Talk in Code. I never tire from watching their dynamic show.

I do wish, though, this shallow trend of wetting knickers over some covers rather than supporting local acts writing and producing their own material would lessen. Talk in Code came out on fire and did the thing we love them doing; an electric set of timeless indie-pop anthems. It doesn’t take more than a few clicks to follow a band online, and familiarise yourself with their songs, and pretty soon, I guarantee, you’ll be creating the atmosphere akin to how you would if they covered Mr Bright Skies.

In this, I thought the rota could’ve worked better if Ant Trouble followed Talk in Code, and George filled in while Kinisha was preparing, then again if I’m to nickpick judging on what I caught of The Publicans, they could’ve suitably been pushed up the lineup too. As I said, CrownFest saw a plethora of great music, all of which needs to slot in someplace.

Sure, Kinisha stole the show, the headline Tina Turner tribute is called and is Simply the Best. But, sunhats off to the team for a brilliant festival of variety in acts, and communal vibes, which none faltered from toppermost quality. All round, CrownFest absolutely rocked Bishop’s Cannings and put The Crown firmly back on the top spot it deserves to reclaim.

The temperature and L-shaped site didn’t fare so well in coaxing attendees to move from stage to stage, many, in conversation and self-made merriment favoured to pick one and stick to it. But hey, that’s the shape the garden is and, seemingly the motivation of overheated Bishops Cannings residents not to stray too far from the shade, bar or barbecue! As long as they had fun, that’s what matters, and CrownFest certainly provided that.

For myself, I am delighted to see CrownFest return this year, and hope it will be an annual feature on our local festival event calendar once again.

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