Wild Field Festival is a two-day event held in Norwich which began in 2020. This year, 2023’s Mercury Prize Winners, Ezra Collective, headlined the event.

The Wild Fields Festival was first held in 2020 and was created by the team behind the Red Rooster Festival as a way to bring live music and arts to Norwich in a smaller, more intimate setting. The festival was born out of the need to adapt to the changing circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, offering a safe, outdoor environment for people to enjoy live performances and cultural activities. Despite its relatively recent inception, the festival has quickly grown in popularity and has become a staple in Norfolk’s cultural calendar.

Wild Fields Festival aims to offer a relaxed and inclusive experience, catering to a wide range of musical tastes and artistic interests. The festival’s programme often includes genres like indie, folk, electronic, and more. The family-friendly environment, combined with the scenic outdoor setting, adds to its appeal as a laid-back yet culturally rich festival experience.

Headlining this year was the Ezra Collective. The group is a London-based jazz quintet that has become one of the leading acts in the UK’s contemporary jazz scene. The group is known for its dynamic fusion of jazz with various genres, including Afrobeat, hip-hop, grime, and reggae, creating a vibrant and energetic sound.

The collective is made up of Femi Koleoso on drums, TJ Koleoso on bass, Joe-Armon Jones on keys, James Mollison on saxophone and Ife Ogunjobi on trumpet

In 2023, the group were named as the winners of the Mercury Prize, with FREENOW winning album of the year. The group performed the song Victory Dance after collecting the award which was met with a standing ovation.

Ezra Collective performed alongside other notable artists such as Sampha The Great, SBTRKT, and Kae Tempest, to name just a few.

As stated in Norwich News, festival director Ben Street said:

Wild Fields will be a truly unique event with a varied and progressive musical line-up paired with climate discussions, industry panels and immersive performance.

The festival is very climate-oriented, partnering up with Climate UK to welcome a large, solar-powered pink bus as one of the stages.

Climate Live Bus

The bus is open-topped and solar powered, featuring live music on the top. Next to it there is a campaign stall where the team speak with festival goers about Climate Live and key youth-led UK climate campaigns