Music and activism meet as Greenbelt returns to Boughton House

For the last time, the annual event will be held at the venue near Kettering, with the festival moving to a new home next year.

Greenbelt, which was founded in 1974 as a Christian event, boasts an array of music, comedy, speakers and more. Among the headline acts are hip hop trailblazers Arrested Development, known for being outspoken about their faith and social conscience. Also headlining are The Proclaimers, who first performed at Greenbelt in 1988, and promise a singalong set featuring hits including I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), Letter from America and Sunshine on Leith. Grace Petrie, one of the UK’s foremost folk protest singer-songwriters of the modern era, is another headliner.

Its programme of speakers is is topped by Charlotte Church, the multi-million selling musical artist. She will be in conversation about her life, work and passions, and will also lead a singing circle. Charlotte has been increasingly focussed on activism in recent years, at the same time as supporting education projects in her native Wales. Another speaker is Jordan Stephens, who is not only a successful musician and performer with the resurgent Rizzle Kicks, but a thinker, writer and speaker on issues around mental health and masculinity. Joining them on the bill is multi-award-winning broadcaster and writer Cathy Newman, who was Channel 4 News’s first female anchor and spent 20 years with the programme before moving to Sky News this April. Cathy will be in conversation with journalist Andrew Graystone about the changing relationship between politics, news and truth, as well as the role of journalism in changing times, misogyny in and out of the industry and her views on the church.

There’s much in the way of performing arts too. Harry Baker brings material from his latest book, the bestseller Tender, which explores the joys, wonder, euphoria, panic and vulnerability of first-time parenthood in a unique blend of wordplay, wit and poetic wizardry. Rapper, composer and playwright Testament present his new one-man show, Saints on a Bridge, which explores Testament’s relationship with church growing up and his experience of racism and lingering colonialism. The acclaimed writer is also a world-renowned beat-boxer and live-looper, bringing all this to bear in his latest opus.

Among the comic talent will be internationally renowned musician, comedian, writer and actor Reggie Watts, who most recently starred as the bandleader on CBS’s The Late Show with James Corden. His performances are always 100% improvised, blending and blurring the line between music and comedy. And Ria Lina will be headlining Greenbelt’s Comedy Club after-hours show, having been named by The Evening Standard as one of the ‘Hottest Comedians You Should Be Watching Now’ and earning praise for her dry wit and social commentary.

Greenbelt runs from August 27 to 30. Visit greenbelt.org.uk to book.