By Alex Murray

Far more than a music festival, Hampshire’s BoomTown Fair is a giant art, circus, music and theatre show in the self-proclaimed largest pop-up city in the world.

As it has grown over the past seven years, it has evolved and adapted. This manifested itself in the form of bigger and better venues – notably for the iconic Lion’s Den reggae and roots stage.

Before rather isolated in a clearing in the trees, BoomTown’s most popular stage now sat in a huge, open bowl surrounded by camping, allowing late-risers to zip open their tents to some fantastic early sets by likes of Steven ‘Ragga’ Marley, son of the legendary Bob, the exhilarating nine-piece brass band Gentleman’s Dub Club and Californian-born singer-songwriter Natty.

And there were plenty of new reasons to be a late-riser as 'Chapter 7' of the fictional festival storyline unfolded with a few plot twists.

Burrita Jose, the communist mayor who had triumphed in last year’s fictional elections had built a new bass megastage in the DownTown district – the Bung Hai Palace, which welcomed the likes of Phil Hartnoll (a.k.a. Orbital), the multitalented Goldie and the relentless drum and bass trio Noisia to its opening.

All the changes and expansion to this festival were neatly framed within Burrita’s crazy vision for the future of the city as once again the festival offered a completely new feel and experience without losing any of yesteryear’s zeal.

But despite these changes, it was the old Town Centre stage which again stole the show. Themed like an old English marketplace, surrounded by a pop-up town hall, post office and pub and with the town crier introducing its acts, the Town Centre prides itself on picking a line-up exclusively of artists that get the crowd going.

The Welsh comic hip-hop group Goldie Lookin’ Chain offered a loud-mouthed, controversial and comically brilliant Sunday afternoon set, while the likes of Gogol Bordello, Flogging Molly, Caravan Palace, the Dub Pistols and the Mouse Outfit offered an eclectic and electric mix of different musical niches and ensuring the Town Centre faithful would never get bored. And then the outstanding musical circus extravaganza Slamboree stepped up and completely stole the show in a colourful, loud and stunningly choreographed circus/musical mix.

As the UK music festival scene is changing more and more, catering for an older audience as youngsters are increasingly priced out, BoomTown once again proved why it is bucking the trend this year, and why it will no doubt continue to do so for years to come.