BlakeFest - with BonzoBills Comedy Band

BlakeFest 2025

Jazz, Comedy and Blake

Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah songs, authentic early jazz, quirky original songs magic, and a little chaos, crown an unmissable Blakean weekend.

Bognor has a long association with comedy, with the Clown Convention and Tony Handcock. Some and enjoy BlakeFest LIVE. Headliners BonzoBills a rare chance to experience this seminal uniquely British, Comedy band. Still packing a punch, ’Guaranteed good fun’ from these talented and humourpus musicians. Featuring original Bonzo Dog Doo Dah member Roger Ruskin Spear.

Their anticipated presence at BlakeFest to highlight Blake’s comic vision and the influence Blake had on the counter-culture of the 1960s.

Blake an authentic if quirky genius remains a counterculture icon particularly associated with the Beat generation of poets and artists. The event also serves as a nod to Alan Ginsberg and the wonderful and much missed Michael Horovitz who headlined BlakeFest 2017 with his Jazz and Beat Poetry Band.

In the day

Jazz, Poetry, Music and Harp

+ a chance for you to have a go and learn at our free sketching workshop with Saltwater Creations and learn about Blake's notebook and its connection to Felpham.

Enjoy a beguiling presentation of Romany life : storytelling, poetry, and music bringing 'KIN' and its world to you – [Salmon Press’ award-winning anthology]. The Romani creatives with their poetry, harp and song are currently touring the UK to increasingly great acclaim.

Be uplifted by Olivia Stevens and Stefan Rajic’s Jazz. Olivia is a singer-songwriter who writes and produces original music and provides opportunities for others to do the same in her 4 Play, original music showcases. Outside West Sussex Olivia has played at the Wedgewood Rooms, Sofar Sounds and the Upton Blues Festival. Stefan Rajic is an outstanding guitarist and brings a perfect balance to these Blues/Jazz infusions.

Blake & the Beats bring the focus back on Blake with musical performances of Blake’s most perennial poems, such as Tyger Tyger, The Lamb, London, and Ah! Sunflower. Charlotte Glasson, Jazz multi-instrumentalist, Chris Hardy, a published poet and lead guitarist in LiTTLe MACHiNe. Accompanied by Barry Smith , a passionate published poet and quite literally a beacon for poetry through his Jazz-poetry café nights in Chichester and the Southdowns Poetry Festival

Bonzo Bills is Headlining, the famed Comedy band, arising from the legendary Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and the Bill Posters Will Be Band. A unique chance to see the appearance of the Bonzos and laugh at the songs LIVE that made them famous. It ties in with the launch of 'Still Barking (Madfish Music). A new box set of their classic 1960s hits.

Running Order for Sunday, 28th September 2025

1pm Sketching Workshop - A chance to ‘have-a-go’, connect or improve and learm about Blake's notebook.

2.00pm ‘Kin’ – Romany Inspiration. Enter into a Romany world existing on the edge of ours through its highly acclaimed female narrators. Join Raine Geoghegan Romani anthologist, Harpist Vanessa-Wood-Davies and others as they weave for us a tapestry from its highly praised award -winning anthology ‘Kin’, by Salmon Press.

3.00pm JAZZ – Olivia Stevens and Stefan Rajic

Pick up the beat with smoking hot jazz-infused blues and soul.

4:00 pm Blake and The Beats - ft. Charlotte Glasson bring the spotlight back on Blake the Poet in brand new Jazz musical settings created by Chris Hardy the guitarist from music/poetry ensemble Little Machine and the velvet-voiced South Downs poet, Barry Smith.

5:00 pm Break – Fish & Chips are among the refreshments that can be purchased at the Pier or on the sea-front of Bognor Regis

6:15 PM Doors open for the Bonzo Bills. The stage is given over to an evening of comic musical entertainment as the spirit of the Bonzos lives again.

BlakeFest 2025: BlakeFest with BonzoBills, Sunday 28 September 2025, 1pm (afternoon session) and 6.30pm (evening session).