Alex James revives Britpop memories for festival

Alex James has staged Big Feastival at his farm for the past 14 years

Thirty years after the famous Oasis-Blur chart battle at the height of the Britpop era, Blur bassist Alex James is preparing to relive the summer of 1995 at his annual festival.

The Big Feastival, which combines live music with food attractions, is due to take place at James' Cotswolds farm near Kingham, Oxfordshire, from 22 to 24 August.

The musician and cheesemaker will lead a Britpop classical set, with a live band alongside a full orchestra, on the Sunday night.

Bournemouth-born James said staging the festival over the past 14 years has been "exhilarating".

This summer marks three decades since 90s music heavyweights Blur and Oasis went head to head for number one with Country House and Roll with It respectively.

Blur were one of the most successful bands of Britpop era

James is promising the music of Blur, Oasis, Pulp, Supergrass, Travis and other Britpop bands will get the "full orchestra treatment" as a climax to this year's event.

With Oasis on their reunion tour, the classical Britpop set, with contributions from members of Reef and Travis, is aptly timed.

"It's going to be a kind of gang show. Those songs lend themselves really well to orchestration and a lot of them have brass sections and string sections - so that's going to be a hoot."

Speaking a week before the farm gates open for this year's event, James has reflected on how going from a festival performer to an organiser during the past 14 years has been a "white-knuckle ride".

"But I really have never enjoyed anything so much - its been exhilarating," he added.

"The whole family, absolutely, working our socks off all year round to bring this kind of crazy thing to life.

"So the feeling when everybody's here, arms in the air, singing along, crying their eyes out - it's all worthwhile."

It is a busy summer in the Cotswolds. The celebrities arriving for Big Feastival, come after the usually quiet village of Charbury was the holiday destination of US vice president JD Vance.

TV chat show host Ellen DeGeneres, also moved to the area - saying she fled to Oxfordshire countryside to escape President Donald Trump.

"It's like, who's gonna, who's gonna pitch up next? I mean, there's cavalcades and choppers in gridlock over Chipping Norton this week," James reflects.

The event features big names from the world of food as well as music

James and his wife Claire bought the 200-acre farm 22 years ago while on their honeymoon.

He described it as "the last wreck in the neighbourhood" adding "the farm did really needed a lot of investment and love".

Along with his neighbour Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm, James has played a part in putting the area's farming community on the map.

"I think people now are really interested in food and and farming.

"I don't think there's anywhere as pretty in the world. The minute I arrived here I didn't really want to leave. We've made it our home and I'm very proud to be part of a wonderful community.

"It's incredible this part of the world is now a kind of global centre of food excellence."

Also on the bill for this year's Big Feastival are I'm like a Bird singer Furtado who will headline the event on Friday, with Faithless, known for dance classics Insomnia and God Is A DJ, taking the top slot on Saturday.

Travis, The Wombats and Sophie Ellis-Bextor will also feature as special guests.