In 2026 the Portland Stage and Revolting Youth organisers team up to present the all new Revolting Stage! 2024 was the 10th and final year of the Portland Stage at Strawberry Fair in 2024. It was also the year that Strawberry Fair celebrated 50 golden years as it's been held annually on Midsummer Common, Cambridge since the 1970s (see it's history below). After a year out, Strawberry Fair is back
on 6 June 2026 and we will be combining the Portland and Revolting Youth stages in our brand new Revolting stage. History of the Portland Stage:
The Portland Stage and Bar was the largest indoor area onsite at the Fair housed in a 360 square meter marquee with a capacity of 1000. The amazing stage and superb sound and lighting management were provided by the awesome Blueshed and drumkit by the lovely Barton Studios. You could chill in the shade to great music on the 40 square metre Stage whilst enjoying fine drinks from the excellent Portland Arms bar listening to over 10 hours of eclectic performances from around eighteen fantastic acts with over sixty performers from across the East Anglian region. Rockinmike Wilson (A Strawberry Fairy for over 20 years) started at the Fair when he moved to Cambridgeshire from Beds in the early noughties. Initially working on the Young Performers Future Stage until 2009, then working on the Fair's Steering Group in various roles until starting the Portland Stage in 2014 (the 40th Anniversary year of the Fair). The Portland Stage and Bar was presented by the East Anglian Festival Network www.eafn.co.uk, which Mike founded in 2018. and Gigs Out, which has been presenting, promoting and publicising great Events in East Anglia for many years. The Stage featured eclectic quality performances from some of the best local entertainers, singer/songwriters, duos and bands in the East Anglian area. www.eafn.co.uk
www.facebook.com/groups/gigsoutineastanglia
www.facebook.com/gigsout
The Portland Stage always had a theme that fitted in with the main theme of the Fair, here's the themes since we started all those years ago:
2014 Ruby Masquerade Ball
2015 Down by the River
2016 Polar Ballroom
2017 Once Upon a Time/Fairytale Ball
2018 Stage Heroes
2019 The Love Boat
2020 The Magic Roundabout (Virtual on C105)
2022 Love Our Planet
2023 Mutiny
2024 Seventies Gold
Due to the COVID 19 crisis the 2020 live event on Midsummer Common had to be cancelled but the stage still went ahead virtually and was part of the award winning first virtual Strawberry Fair on Cambridge 105 Radio.
119 different acts (with over 400 performers) have entertained you on The Portland Stage and Bar at Strawberry Fair since we started and only a few acts have played more than once. Here's all the amazing acts we presented to you:
4th Labyrinth
Alex Jenner
Ali Warwood
Alton Wahlberg Music
Austin Gold
Big 10
Billy Lunn
Blackjack Blues Band
Bouquet Of Dead Crows
Cambridge Lindy Hoppers
Cambridge Tuneless Choir
Cavetown
Cherry B
Chris Andrews
Chris Norton Walker
Christian Smith
Christian Smith & the Whistlers
Claudia and the Braidy Bunch
Claudia Kate
Colonel Hathi
Dagaow Hardnezz
Dark Horse
Datum Plane
David Youngs
Dead Reynolds
Della Lupa
DisFunktional
DJ Luna Love (YKIMS)
DJ Smyley Jay
DJ Ted B
Dorothea
Double Shot
Dusky Sunday
Edward Alice
Elizabeth & Jameson
False Hearts
Flint Moore
For the Hornets
Fred’s House
Gabby Rivers
Glymjack
Grace Sarah
Harriet! Healyum
Hifi Dropouts
Holly Musgrave
Ian Jeffs
Isle 'ave a Shanty
Isobel Sugden
Jacen Bruce and the Memphis Underground
Jacqui And Geoff
Jason And The Skagonauts
Jo Ash Music
Kerry Devine
Lana Bruce
Lords Lumber
Lucy Thompson
Luke James Williams
Luke Ward-Wilkinson
Luna Falls
Mark Shepherd
Medicine Hat
Michael Robshaw
Morganway
Mulholland Jive
Opaque
Oscar Corney Band
Phoebe Austin
Princess Porcelynn, the drag Princess
Release The Chimps
Rob Coleman
Ruby Muse
Saachi
Schrödinger's Strings
Searching Grey
Seby Ntege And Band
Shannon Elsden Band
SJ Mortimer
Soloman Smith
Soothsayer
Sophie Mahon & The Ready Mades
Split Whiskers
Standing like Statues
Sunday Driver
Sunlight for Honey (was Maverick)
Swamptruck
Sweet Crisis
Tantris
Tape Runs Out
Tennessee Twin
The Fifths
The Frida Violeta Band
The Frigidaires
The Garden Birds
The Lightwaves
The Lonely
The Love Asylum
The Magic Es
The Mojo Slide
The Morphics
The Scissors
The SG's
The Staycations
The Tin Pigeons
The Visitors
This Circus Life
Thomas Dunleavy
Three Years Younger
Thy Last Drop
Tom Colborn
Tom Conway
Tom Korni
Tom Lumley Band
Tom Ryder
Tony Brook
TonyT
Uncle Arthur and the Alley Cat
Ward and Parker
Woodley Taylor
Strawberry Love from Rockinmike and Claire (EAFN/Gigs Out/Avalon Event Support and from Linzi and White
Revolting Stage Heads/Area Co-ordinators, Strawberry Fair
www.strawberry-fair.org.uk
www.eafn.co.uk
https://www.queensroadstudio.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/queensroadstudio63
https://www.facebook.com/groups/QueensRoadStudio/
www.facebook.com/gigsout
www.facebook.com/groups/gigsoutineastanglia
