Rise Festival

Rise is a free annual music festival held in London, England. Originally organised as a anti-racism festival by the Trades Union Congress ("TUC"), it was revived as such by the former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. In June 2008 the Greater London Assembly, under newly elected Mayor Boris Johnson, removed the explicit anti-racist message of the festival [ [http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/06/i_learned_on_sunday_that.html How the Boris Johnson anti-racist festival row unfolded] ] . Subsequently the trade unions UNISON and Unite the Union withdrew their festival funding [ [http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=1188 UNISON Withdraws Rise Festival Funding] ] [ [http://www.unitetheunion.org.uk/news-article.php?iNewsId=477 Unite to Cease Funding Rise Stage after Mayor's Political Censorship] ] .

When, in 1996, the festival was set up, it was originally called "Respect". While primarily a music festival it also worked to encourage trade unions, voluntary groups, charities and community organisations to highlight their work and ideas concerning equality and the promotion of anti-racism.

The original event took part in Finsbury Park and featured artists Chumbawumba, Fun-Da-Mental, Asian Dub Foundation and Incognito. In 1997 the featured musicians were Luciano, Audioweb, the Fun Lovin' Criminals and Dreadzone and the event took place in Victoria Park, Hackney.There was no event between 1998 and 2000, but in May 2000 Ken Livingstone was elected Mayor with a manifesto pledge to organise that the Anti-racist festival become a yearly event.

The first festival, dubbed "respect", under Livingstones tenure took place in 2001 and attracted around 60,000 people. Since then attendances have been reached around 100,000. After the launch of the political party also called Respect the festival changed its name to Rise for 2005. After the 7 July 2005 London bombings it was renamed London United, but changed back to just "Rise" in 2008.

The 2008 festival saw headliner Jimmy Cliff cut off during his set when it overran past the 8:30pm curfew time, with the sound system switched off halfway through a performance of "Rivers of Babylon" causing him and the band to leave the stage in silence. [http://www.virtualfestivals.com/latest/news/5031]

List of festivals

*1996 - Finsbury Park - Chumbawumba, Fun-Da-Mental, Asian Dub Foundation, Incognito
*1997 - Victoria Park, Hackney - Luciano, Audioweb, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Dreadzone
*2001 - Finsbury Park - Blue, Run DMC, Mis-Teeq, Desmond Dekker
*2002 - Victoria Park, Hackney - De La Soul
*2003 - Millennium Dome - Public Enemy, Gregory Isaacs
*2004 - Victoria Park, Hackney - Apache Indian, Tim Westwood, Big Brovaz
*16 July, 2005 - Burgess Park, Peckham - Lemar, Goldie Lookin Chain, Raghav
*2006 - Finsbury Park - Graham Coxon, Sway, the Buzzcocks, Killa Kela, Roy Ayers, The Wailers
*13 July 2008 - Finsbury Park - CSS, Jimmy Cliff

External links

* [http://www.risefestival.org/ Official web site]
* [http://www.london.gov.uk/rise/ Rise: London United] Mayoral Official Website.
* [http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/rise-festival-2006_index.html Rise Festival 2006] View London preview of 2006 festival.

References