Summer Soulstice 2019

Cherry Lodge Cancer Care sends huge thanks to the Soulstice crew for their ongoing support and for all their hard work and expertise which made this year’s festival – their 13th – such a fabulous success.

Summer Soulstice 2019 was held on Saturday 22nd June, when a sell-out crowd flocked to OE’s Memorial Playing Fields in Barnet to enjoy 12 hours of soulful fun and frolics. There were main stage acts from Aswad, Alison Limerick, Andy Abraham, Louise Golbey, Natasha Watts, and Sa-ha-ra, plus music from 30+ DJs in three arenas of music. A free kids zone, gazebo and picnic area, food and drink outlets, merchandise stalls and entertainers ensured that everyone had a great day out at this annual family festival. The weather was thankfully kind and there was an overwhelmingly friendly atmosphere throughout.

Cherry Lodge volunteers, in their smart blue T-shirts, were very much in evidence, helping in the car park, at the entry gate and on the Cherry Lodge stall. There was a good range of merchandise on the stall – including our ever-popular sunglasses –  and this year we enjoyed the services of a very popular henna tattoo artist and a talented juggler, who both gave their proceeds to us. Thank you very much indeed to everyone who helped. The total raised directly by Cherry Lodge on the day was in the region of £3,500, including £2,600 from the car park and £600 from merchandise. Summer Soulstice have announced this year’s total – a record £45,000 – and will be handing over a big cheque to Cherry Lodge on Big Payback Day, Sunday 25th August 2019 at Barnet’s Black Horse pub.

As always, it was good to see old friends at the Cherry Lodge stall, reminding us how much the charity means to so many people in the area. Among our regular visitors was our Patron and Chipping Barnet MP, Theresa Villiers, who features in several of our photos, below. Other photos in our gallery feature the big SS2019 sign (by courtesy of Estree Studios), Cherry Lodge helpers, festival visitors (including a splendid dog and a dragonfly), main stage acts Andy Abraham and Aswad, and the Soulstice crew on stage at the end of the festival.

Update (3rd July): Please visit the Summer Soulstice website for a news update (and many more photos).

Click on the small images below to see larger, complete photographs.