Good Times Live
| Good Times Live | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Rock, pop, R&B, comedy |
| Dates | Late May (bank holiday period) |
| Locations | Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire, England |
| Years active | 2023–present |
| Founders | James Murden, Tom Campbell |
| Website | https://goodtimeslive.co.uk |
Good Times Live is an annual music and entertainment festival held in Chipping Sodbury, near Bristol, England. The festival originated in Yate as a community event focused on cover and tribute bands before expanding to feature internationally recognised artists and comedians. The event typically takes place over several days around the late May bank holiday weekend and operates as a series of individually ticketed performances rather than a single continuous camping festival.[1]
History
Good Times Live began at Yate Town Football Club in South Gloucestershire as a small-scale festival featuring cover and tribute acts. According to festival organisers, tribute performances were initially booked due to limited resources and uncertainty around demand for original artists.[1]
The festival gained wider attention in 2024 after booking the British pop group McFly as a headline act, signalling a shift toward original artists and higher-profile bookings.[1]
In 2025, the festival relocated to The Ridings in Chipping Sodbury to accommodate increased attendance and a larger production footprint. The move marked a significant expansion of the event, with multiple headline performances across several days.[2]
Format and organisation
Good Times Live differs from traditional multi-day camping festivals by operating as a series of separately ticketed concerts and comedy events. Organisers have described the format as a way to maintain accessibility for local audiences while offering a broad range of entertainment across different genres.[1]
Lineups
2024
2025
The first year at The Ridings featured several high-profile performers:
2026
Acts announced for the 2026 edition include:
- The Human League (with special guest Marc Almond)[9]
- Jessie J[10]
- Madness (band)[11]
- Emeli Sandé[12]
- Russell Howard[13]
Founders
Good Times Live was founded by James Murden and Tom Campbell. Murden serves as festival director, while Campbell manages production and technical staging. The pair have stated that the festival was conceived to bring a large-scale live music event to South Gloucestershire, an area they felt was underserved by major touring acts.[1]
Venue
The festival was originally held at Yate Town Football Club before relocating to The Ridings in Chipping Sodbury in 2025. The Ridings provides increased capacity and infrastructure suitable for larger audiences and headline performances.[14]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Festival that started with tribute bands books McFly". BBC News. 2024-05-24. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "Good Times Live festival moves to Chipping Sodbury". BBC News. 2025-02-18. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "Billy Ocean announced for Good Times Live". BBC News. 2025-03-01. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "Craig David to headline Chipping Sodbury festival". BBC News. 2025-03-15. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "Jools Holland brings Rhythm & Blues Orchestra to Good Times Live". BBC News. 2025-04-02. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "Skunk Anansie confirmed for Good Times Live". BBC News. 2025-04-10. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "Will Young announced for Good Times Live". BBC News. 2025-04-18. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "Natalie Imbruglia to play Chipping Sodbury festival". BBC News. 2025-04-25. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "The Human League to headline Good Times Live 2026". Skiddle. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "Jessie J announced as headliner for festival on edge of Bristol". BristolWorld. 2025-11-14. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "Madness announced as Good Times Live 2026 headliner". BristolWorld. 2025-09-20. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "Emeli Sandé revealed as Good Times Live headliner for 2026". The Bristol Gig Guide. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "Russell Howard announced for Good Times Live comedy night". What's On Bristol. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "Good Times Live 2025 event information". Brain Tumour Support. Retrieved 2026-01-08.