Area 51 rocked the dock as H.M.S. Bestival dropped anchor at one of Britain’s best-ever festival arenas.
It was full steam-ahead as shipmates shared the fun in an amazing nautical-themed party at Bestival on the Isle of Wight.
Sailors, pirates, sea monsters, mermaids, salty sea dogs, rock lobsters and deep-sea divers sang sea shanties and partied day and night. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the hugely popular festival organisers created an incredible new dance arena called The Port stage and after creating a giant life-sized ship complete with giant funnels.
Area 51 were called upon to provide dancers, performance artists and a wide range of characters to decorate the event which was staged at the Robin Hill Country Park.
Manned and stage managed by Area 51’s 15-strong crew with all hands-on deck and skippered by Captain Klas at the helm, many of the world’s leading DJ’s including Carl Cox, Annie Mac and Duke Dumont played on what was a hyper real ship. Knife Party blew everybody’s minds – and Jaguar Skills were simply incredible.
Area 51 were joined by Fidget Feet Aerial Dance Theatre, an internationally renowned company who took to the air with some of the most spectacular aerial performance ever seen – some suspended a vertiginous 300 feet in the air! Marawas Majorettes also lent their services and together the crew sailed for 13 non-stop hours of music and mirth every day.
Boasting state of the art sound provided by Funktion One, hi-tech lasers and LED screens together with a boat-load of pyro’s exploding from HMS Bestival’s funnels, it was easy to see why the stage became the talking point of the entire festival.
The festival organisers created an all-night maritime fun area containing docks, a lighthouse, bawdy rum bars, and other attractions. During the day, Area 51’s Tiki and steampunk walkabout crews took to the festival site and the company’s workshop also created a shoal of fish to join the famous Bestival parade.
Radio One DJ Rob Da Bank said:
“The Port at Bestival 2013 was our most ambitious structural build to date and was the talk of the festival… not least due to Area 51’s incredible energetic stage activity, dancing and aerial.
“The guys and girls worked their legwarmers off all weekend day and night and many of the acts drew audible gasps from the packed audience with their daring aerial trickery and relentless dance moves. Area 51 we salute you.”
