“Massive” headline artists and amazing production and facilities are promised for the 2018 Wheels and Fins festival at Joss Bay.
The sixth annual festival will step up a gear as it aims to become one of the biggest music and action sports events in the UK.
The festival, which will run from September 7-9, will be brought on to a national platform and is expected to attract some 5,000 visitors each day.
2018 will see the return of the UK Mini Ramps Championships, which was live streamed via the Extreme channel around the world this year with more than 2 million viewers, and the UK Flatland BMX Championships.
These events will be joined by the Boombox Experiment with a number of nationally renowned DJ’s playing sets on Joss Bay beach, surfing, paddle boarding, environmental workshops, races and additions of an athlete lounge and VIP area.
The huge music line-up is being negotiated now and legendary Supernova Entertainments boss Richard Beck is bringing his 27 years experience, and all important black book, to the table.
Mr Beck has managed acts including Shania Twain, Bruce Springsteen and Midge Ure and headed up events such as events The BRIT Awards,The MTV Awards and The Rolling Stones ‘Voodoo Lounge’ and ‘Bridges To Babylon’ European tours.
He will be working with festival founders and organisers, brothers Dave and Dan Melmoth, to put the festival “on the map.”
The event will be ticketed for a second year to fund high quality production and talent which is hoped to draw a national, and possibly international, audience.
Dave (pictured) said: “The first five years Wheels and Fins was a free festival but we have put in significant investment to get to where we are now and this year we are going national.
“For 2018 big artists will be coming, we have the action sports events including the biggest UK (mini ramps) championships which was live streamed to a massive global audience this year, a world class audio and visual experience working with F1 Sound and Video Illusions, athletes lounge, VIP area and we will be adding more creative spaces.
“We have the main outdoor stage overlooking the sea with the lighthouse in the background, local DJ Matt Smith with the Boom Box Experience, local food and drink and paddle boarding, surfing, rides.
“The festival has turned a corner and we are looking forward to an awesome, fun, busy event. We are building a nationally recognised action sports and music festival which will be in Thanet, on everyone’s doorstep.”
Dave and Dan also want to give something back to Thanet folk who have always been a part of Wheels and Fins and are releasing a limited number of super-early bird tickets for locals.
The tickets go on sale this Thursday (January 11) from 9am and cost £20 for an adult day ticket (each day) and £10 for 8-13 year olds (under 8s free). Weekend tickets are £56 and weekend plus camping £85.
Dave said: “It is an exciting time and we have put these tickets on sale because we want to offer residents cheaper access to the event.”
Dan added: “ We are now in year six and will have an event in our home town that will be nationally recognised and that we can be proud of. But we are local boys so want residents to have this ticket offer and have a ‘Boardmasters’ experience on their doorstep.”
Richard Beck (pictured below) says he expects the festival to now grow year on year
He said: “I’ve been looking for a festival to get involved with for about 10 years but it had to be different, super cool and in its embryonic stages.
“I stumbled on Wheels and Fins and think the guys have done an incredible job. They have taken it from skate ramps and stands on the beach to an amazing festival. It has been their baby and now I want to help them turn it into a fully grown adult.
“For 2018 we will be bringing everything up, facilities, site production, talent. We really want to put this festival on the map and give it the prominence it deserves.
“It is really exciting to be working with them and adding my skill set and my black book of artists.
“We’ll increase talent and production and it will be stepping up every year. It is also really important to give something back to the local community as they have supported the festival from day one. We want them to come on the journey with us.”
The first of the headline acts for the festival are due to be announced at the end of January.
Find the early bird offers on the Wheels and Fins website from Thursday here