Here’s 100 moments of pure joy from Simmer Down Festival 2018

It was raining reggae at the annual free Simmerdown Festival in Birmingham’s Handsworth Park over the weekend.

Each year it only gets better! Unlike previous years, this year was predicted rain nearly all day, so there was a lot of speculation online about whether it was taking place.

We all know that rain keeps a lot of people in their homes, no one likes being wet and cold, and as it’s a free festival so people have the choice.

And it did rain! But to say this did not stop anyone coming out is an understatement. People came prepared for everything! The park was dotted with gazebos, picnic tables and blankets, and as the rain started, umbrellas. The rain came, and the reggae carried on!

The crowds

The park was still as full as ever, with a multitude of ages, colours and religions – it shows just how far and wide the love of this music, which originated and grew out of the little Caribbean island of Jamaica, has reached! 

We personally spoke to people that had travelled from Wales, Stoke and Manchester – just to this event. We saw young people in their teens to senior citizens with grey hair, all equally enjoying themselves.

Headline act

The headline act was Inner Circle of “Bad Boys” fame and they were amazing, energetic and authentic – what else would we expect at a reggae festival! We expect locs, we expect patois, we expect that rhythmic bass sound, this is what the crowd were treated to.

If you are a lover of reggae, if you want to enjoy a family day out, if you want to be around like minded people and attend a festival for all ages. Simmerdown is exactly the festival for you!

Here’s 100 photos of pure joy from Simmer Down Festival 2018:

#1  Dennis Lloyd on the main stage

Lensi Photography

#2  Crowds in Handsworth Park

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#3  Rudolph Walker aka ‘Patrick Truman’

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#4  Donchez bustin’ some moves

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#5 Abel Miller

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#6  Reveller chilling in the park

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#7  Crucials Main Stage

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#8  Simmer Down Fesitval

Denise James | I Am Birmingham

#9  Janel Antoneshia gets the crowd buzzing

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#10  Shelly Lightnin lights up the main stage

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#11  Shelly Lightnin performin’

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#12  Misty in Roots

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#13  Iqulah Rastafari belts out his reggae hits

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#14  Young dancers in Handsworth park

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#15  Flags high at Simmer Down

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#16  The Lion of Judah

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#17  West Midlands Mayor Andy Street

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#18 Headliners Inner Circle on the main stage

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#19  Trevor “Skatta” Bonnick from Inner Circle

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#20  Birmingham Lord Mayor Yvonne Mosquito and Cllr Waseem Zaffar

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#21  Performances on the Crucials Main Stage

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#22  Iqulah Rastafari

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#23  Dancing in the park

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#24  Family fun at Simmer Down Festival

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#25  Main stage at Simmer Down

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#26  Inner Circle

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#27  Inner Circle

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#28  Inner Circle’s Trevor “Skatta” Bonnick

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#29  Crowds at Simmer Down

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#30 Performances on the Main Stage

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#31  Donchez from Britain’s Got talent

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#32  Revellers at Simmer Down

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#33  Simmer Down Festival

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#34 Janel Antoneshia takes over the main stage 

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#35  Flying the Jamaican flag

Denise James | I Am Birmingham

#36  Young kid at Simmer Down

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#37  Dancing in the crowd

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#38  Jamaican flag held high

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#39  Shiny Happy People

Denise James | I Am Birmingham

#40  Simmer Down Smiles

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#41  Inner Circle’s ‘Skatta’

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#42  Hands in the air

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#43  Hundreds of people enjoying Simmer Down Festival

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#44 Simmer Down Festival vibes

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#45  Good vibes at Simmer Down

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#46  Family feel in the park

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#47  Friends chilling at Simmer Down Festival

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#48  Soaking in the vibes

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#49  A family enjoying the day

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#50  Out in the park for Simmer Down

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#51  Happy family out for Simmer Down Fest

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#52  Eloquent Praise & Empowerment Dance Company

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#53  Friends enjoying Simmer Down Festival

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#54  Community collectives

Rangzeb Hussain

#55  Cheering crowds at Simmer Down

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#56  Inner Circle on centre-stage

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#57  Inner Circle

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#58  Iqulah Rastafari performing

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#59  Iqulah Rastafari

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#60  Iqulah Rastafari

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#61  Passionate performances

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#62  Selling wares at Simmer Down

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#63  Simmer Down crowds

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#64  Crowds at Simmer Down Festival

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#65  Smartphones and smiles at Simmer Down

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#66  Misty in Roots

Adam Yosef

#67  JB Capital Letters

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#68 ‘Mr Handsworth’ Hector Pinkney with Vimal Korpal

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#69  Shelly Lightnin’s amazing smile

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#70  Family fun at Simmer Down

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#71  Cllr Waseem Zaffar and Kash the Flash

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#72  Photographer Vanley Burke

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#73  Iqulah Rastafari and Mukhtar Dar

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#74  Revellers enjoying Simmer Down Festival

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#75  Kids all smiles at Simmer Down

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#76  Dancers Sohan Kailey and Aruna Kailey with their kids

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#78  Happy chappy in Handsworth Park

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#79  Enjoying the music at Simmer Down

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#80  Celebrating at Simmer Down

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#81  Some of The Phoenix Newspaper crew

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#82  Iqulah Rastafari 

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#83  West Midlands Mayor Andy Street

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#84  Waseem Zaffar, Yvonne Mosquito, Winston Mosquito and Andy Street

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#85  Rangzeb Hussain and Aysha Z. Khan

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#86  Maxie Hayles and Yvonne Mosquito share a moment

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#87  Fashion designer Anthony Weir in the crowd

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#88  Photographer Denise Davina of Lensi Photography

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#89  Donchez with West Midlands Police officers 

Vimal Korpal

#90  Presenting on the Main Stage

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#91  BBC Doctor’s Bharti Patel at Simmer Down

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#92  Smiling couple at Simmer Down

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#93 Janel Antoneshia on the Simmer Down main stage

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#94  Performing on the Main Stage

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#95  Simmer Down security staff

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#96 Chilling at Simmer Down Festival 

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#97  Inner Circle command the Simmer Down crowds

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#98  Paulette Francis-Green and BBC Radio WM

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#99  Happy couple at Simmer Down

Vimal Korpal

#100  Ammo Talwar MBE from Punch Records

Adam Yosef

 

For news and details about next year’s event, follow the Simmer Down Festival Facebook page here.