New festival Electric Paradise announced at National Bowl in Milton Keynes in August

A new festival called Electric Paradise has been announced, with the event to be held at the National Bowl music venue in Milton Keynes.

Grace Jones, Candi Staton, UB40, Cameo, Earth Wind & Fire By Al McKay, Armand Van Helden, Dimitri From Paris, Roger Sanchez, Graeme Park and Alison Limerick are among performers confirmed for the festival, which will take place at the Bowl on Saturday August 8th.

Tickets to the event go on sale from Friday 27th February at 9AM from the Electric Paradise website.

Electric Paradise arrives this summer as a brand-new open-air festival experience at the Milton Keynes National Bowl on Saturday 8 August, with disco, funk, soul and house music from across multiple decades to be on a bill across multiple stages of this inaugural edition.

First release tickets start from £59.50, with VIP packages available from £150.

The event adds to the busy summer schedule at the National Bowl, which hosts the Reggae Land Festival and a Prodigy concert, both of which are also taking place in August.

In a statement, the organisers said, “Set within one of the UK’s most iconic outdoor concert locations, Electric Paradise will welcome up to 50,000 attendees to the Bowl’s natural amphitheatre, which boasts high-spec production, premium sound and large-scale staging with a carefully curated cross-generational lineup. Promoted by the renowned and experienced JBM Music, Electric Paradise marks the launch of a long-term festival concept that will become an essential date on the annual festival calendar for years to come.”

The Main Stage brings together big stars including Grace Jones, Candi Staton, UB40, Kool & The Gang and Sister Sledge featuring Kathy Sledge. The Big Love Stage features sets by Cameo, Earth, Wind & Fire (by Al McKay), Shalamar, Jocelyn Brown and Heather Small among others.

House and disco culture is represented via the Glitterbox Stage, which will bring all its signature colour, diversity and authenticity with house heroes such as Armand Van Helden, Dimitri from Paris and Roger Sanchez, London party legend Fat Tony, celebrated house vocalists Barbara Tucker and Julie McKnight, eclectic and Balearic beats from Colleen Cosmo Murphy and more from Ella Knight.

The Fool’s Paradise Stage showcases timeless house in all its styles from Mark Knight, Todd Terry, Dave Lee (JN) and Michael Gray, soul selections from Norman Jay and more from Fleetmac Wood. Completing the programme, the Clockwork Orange Stage delivers classic dance heritage with Graeme Park, Danny Rampling, Alison Limerick, Baby D, K-Klass ft. Bobbi, Livin Joy ft. Luzuahnn, Rozalla, and Andy Manston & Danny Clockwork all tapping into the classics.

The Data Transmission and Disco Infiltrators stage will feature the varied sounds of Ron Mexico, Hobbs, Carlos Van D, Slick Pete Flash, Oh! L’Amour, The Goddess Music and Lizzie Curious.

This inclusive celebration is designed for a wide audience of long-time disco and soul heads through to newer house and dance crowds, all united by uplifting music and strong community energy.

The promoters said, “This event is about celebrating timeless music that brings people together – disco, funk, soul and house have shaped generations of culture and continue to unite audiences on dancefloors around the world. From day one, our vision has been to create a world-class experience that honours the legacy of these sounds while delivering the energy, production and atmosphere of a major modern festival. Launching the first edition is just the beginning, and we’re committed to growing this into a landmark annual event’”