Phun City
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2014) |
| Phun City | |
|---|---|
 Ecclesden Common near Worthing was the location for Phun City | |
| Genre | Rock, alternative rock |
| Dates | 24–26 July 1970 |
| Location(s) | Ecclesden Common near Worthing, Sussex, England |
| Years active | 1970 |
| Founded by | Mick Farren |
Phun City was a rock festival held at Ecclesden Common near Worthing, England, from 24 July to 26 July 1970. Excluding the one-day free concerts in London's Hyde Park, Phun City became the first large-scale free festival in the UK.[1]
History
Organised by the
William Burroughs also appeared. [citation needed
]
The
Hells Angels – UK had been hired as the security force, but Farren said, "It slowly dawned on us that although none of our original plans had come together, we were no longer in control." Instead, the audience themselves were now in charge, with the organizers just making sure the bands came and went – it was, if somewhat inadvertently, the first large-scale "people's festival" held in the UK.[3]
The poster art was by Edward Barker.[citation needed]
Legacy
Camping at the festival, Worthing teenager
Mick Jones another future punk pioneer was also enthusiastic "That was the first time MC5 had played. My overriding memory was falling into a ditch! That was a great festival".[5]
See also
- Festivals in the United Kingdom
- List of historic rock festivals
- List of free festivals
References
External links
- Festival Archive – Phun City Pages
- International Times Archive - IT85 - 13 Aug 1970 - Phun City
- Phun City by Worthing artist Dan Thompson
- Get On Down: A Decade of Rock and Roll Posters, edited by Mick Farren (1977).
