I Am Birmingham

The latest news, updates and events in Birmingham

Crowds at Simmer Down Festival 2018

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

Denise James016 mins

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

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Dennis Lloyd performs at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#2  Crowds in Handsworth Park

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Crowds enjoying Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth Park[/media-credit]

#3  Rudolph Walker aka ‘Patrick Truman’

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Rudolph Walker, who plays Patrick Truman in Eastenders, on the main stage at Simmer Down festival 2018[/media-credit]

#4  Donchez bustin’ some moves

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Britain's Got Talent finalist Donchez at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#5 Abel Miller

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Abel Miller performs on the main stage at Simmer Down festival 2018[/media-credit]

#6  Reveller chilling in the park

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]A reveller chilling in Handsworth Park during Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#7  Crucials Main Stage

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]The Crucials Main Stage at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#8  Simmer Down Fesitval

[media-credit id=22 align=”alignnone” width=”800″][/media-credit]

#9  Janel Antoneshia gets the crowd buzzing

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Janel Antoneshia performs on the main stage at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#10  Shelly Lightnin lights up the main stage

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Shelly Lighnin lights up the main stage at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#11  Shelly Lightnin performin’

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Shelly Lightnin performs on the main stage at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#12  Misty in Roots

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Misty in Roots at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#13  Iqulah Rastafari belts out his reggae hits

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Iqulah Rastafari belts out his reggae hits at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#14  Young dancers in Handsworth park

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Young dancers performing at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#15  Flags high at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Jamaican flag and crowds at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#16  The Lion of Judah

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Flying the Lion of Judah Haile Selassie Ethiopian flag at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#17  West Midlands Mayor Andy Street

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]West Midlands Mayor Andy Street at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#18 Headliners Inner Circle on the main stage

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Inner Circle on the main stage at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#19  Trevor “Skatta” Bonnick from Inner Circle

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Inner Circle on the main stage at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#20  Birmingham Lord Mayor Yvonne Mosquito and Cllr Waseem Zaffar

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Birmingham Lord Mayor Yvonne Mosquito with her husband Winston (second right) and fellow councillor Waseem Zaffar (right) at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#21  Performances on the Crucials Main Stage

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Performances on the Main Stage at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#22  Iqulah Rastafari

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Iqulah Rastafari belts out his reggae hits at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#23  Dancing in the park

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]A festival goer enjoying Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#24  Family fun at Simmer Down Festival

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Family fun at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#25  Main stage at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Main stage at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#26  Inner Circle

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Inner Circle reggae band at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth park in Birmingham UK[/media-credit]

#27  Inner Circle

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Inner Circle reggae band at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth park in Birmingham UK[/media-credit]

#28  Inner Circle’s Trevor “Skatta” Bonnick

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Inner Circle reggae band at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth park in Birmingham UK[/media-credit]

#29  Crowds at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Crowds at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#30 Performances on the Main Stage

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Inner Circle guitarist performs on the main stage at Simmer Down Festival[/media-credit]

#31  Donchez from Britain’s Got talent

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Britain's Got Talent finalist Donchez at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#32  Revellers at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Revellers at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#33  Simmer Down Festival

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#34 Janel Antoneshia takes over the main stage 

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Janel Antoneshia performs on the main stage at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#35  Flying the Jamaican flag

[media-credit id=22 align=”alignnone” width=”800″]The Jamaican flag flies in the crowd at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham UK[/media-credit]

#36  Young kid at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Young kid at the Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#37  Dancing in the crowd

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Dancing in the crowd at Simmer Down festival 2018[/media-credit]

#38  Jamaican flag held high

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Jamaican flag held high at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth Park in Birmingham UK[/media-credit]

#39  Shiny Happy People

[media-credit id=22 align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Shiny happy people at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#40  Simmer Down Smiles

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Smiling at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#41  Inner Circle’s ‘Skatta’

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Inner Circle on the main stage at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#42  Hands in the air

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Hands in the air at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#43  Hundreds of people enjoying Simmer Down Festival

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Crowds at Simmer Down festival 2018 in Handsworth Park in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#44 Simmer Down Festival vibes

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]It's all fun and games at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham's Handsworth Park[/media-credit]

#45  Good vibes at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Good vibes at Simmer Down Festival 2018 at Handsworth Park in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#46  Family feel in the park

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Family feel at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#47  Friends chilling at Simmer Down Festival

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Friends at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#48  Soaking in the vibes

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Older women enjoy the Simmer Down Festival in Handsworth Park in Birmingham [/media-credit]

#49  A family enjoying the day

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photgraphy” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]A family enjoying the Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth Park in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#50  Out in the park for Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]A reveller enjoying the Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth Park in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#51  Happy family out for Simmer Down Fest

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]A happy family at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#52  Eloquent Praise & Empowerment Dance Company

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Dancing girl group at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#53  Friends enjoying Simmer Down Festival

[media-credit name=”Lensi Photography ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Group of girls chilling at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#54  Community collectives

[media-credit name=”Rangzeb Hussain ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Crowds and music artists at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Rangzeb Hussain 05[/media-credit]

#55  Cheering crowds at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Rangzeb Hussain ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Crowds and music artists at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Rangzeb Hussain 06[/media-credit]

#56  Inner Circle on centre-stage

[media-credit name=”Rangzeb Hussain ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Inner Circle at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Rangzeb Hussain 01[/media-credit]

#57  Inner Circle

[media-credit name=”Rangzeb Hussain ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Inner Circle keyboard player at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Rangzeb Hussain 01[/media-credit]

#58  Iqulah Rastafari performing

[media-credit name=”Rangzeb Hussain ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″][/media-credit]

#59  Iqulah Rastafari

[media-credit name=”Rangzeb Hussain ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Iqulah Rastfari at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Rangzeb Hussain 02[/media-credit]

#60  Iqulah Rastafari

[media-credit name=”Rangzeb Hussain ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Iqulah Rastafari at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Rangzeb Hussain 01[/media-credit]

#61  Passionate performances

[media-credit name=”Rangzeb Hussain ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Bass player guitarist at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Rangzeb Hussain 01[/media-credit]

#62  Selling wares at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Rangzeb Hussain ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Clothing stall at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Rangzeb Hussain 01[/media-credit]

#63  Simmer Down crowds

[media-credit name=”Rangzeb Hussain ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Crowds and music artists at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Rangzeb Hussain 01[/media-credit]

#64  Crowds at Simmer Down Festival

[media-credit name=”Rangzeb Hussain ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Crowds and music artists at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Rangzeb Hussain 02[/media-credit]

#65  Smartphones and smiles at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Rangzeb Hussain ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Crowds and music artists at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Rangzeb Hussain 04[/media-credit]

#66  Misty in Roots

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Misty in Roots at the Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#67  JB Capital Letters

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]JB Capital Letters at the Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#68 ‘Mr Handsworth’ Hector Pinkney with Vimal Korpal

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]'Mr Handsworth' Hector Pinkney and Vimal Korpal at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham's Handsworth Park[/media-credit]

#69  Shelly Lightnin’s amazing smile

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Singer Shelly Lightnin at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#70  Family fun at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Attendees at the Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth Park in Birmingham in a photo by Adam Yosef[/media-credit]

#71  Cllr Waseem Zaffar and Kash the Flash

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Councillor Waseem Zaffar and Kash the Flash at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth Park in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#72  Photographer Vanley Burke

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Photographer Vanley Burke at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth park in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#73  Iqulah Rastafari and Mukhtar Dar

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Iqulah Rastafari and Mukhtar Dar at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#74  Revellers enjoying Simmer Down Festival

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Attendees and artists at the Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth Park in Birmingham in a photo by Adam Yosef[/media-credit]

#75  Kids all smiles at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Kids and families at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth Park in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#76  Dancers Sohan Kailey and Aruna Kailey with their kids

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Dancers Sohan Kailey and Aruna Kailey with their children at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#78  Happy chappy in Handsworth Park

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]A smiling guy at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#79  Enjoying the music at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Revellers filming on smart phones at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham[/media-credit]

#80  Celebrating at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Revellers enjoying the music at SImmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#81  Some of The Phoenix Newspaper crew

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Some of The Phoenix Newspaper team at Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Birmingham [/media-credit]

#82  Iqulah Rastafari 

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Iqulah Rasftafari at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#83  West Midlands Mayor Andy Street

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]West Midlands Mayor Andy Street at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

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

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]VIP guests and politicians at Simmer Down Festival 2018 with Waseem Zaffar, Birmingham Lord Mayor Yvonne Mosquito, Winston Mosquito and WM Mayor Andy Street[/media-credit]

#85  Rangzeb Hussain and Aysha Z. Khan

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Rangzeb Hussain and Aysha Khan at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#86  Maxie Hayles and Yvonne Mosquito share a moment

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Maxie Hayles, Yvonne Mosquito, Charmaine Burton and Winston Mosquito at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#87  Fashion designer Anthony Weir in the crowd

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Designer Anthony Weir at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#88  Photographer Denise Davina of Lensi Photography

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Photographer Denise Maxwell at Simmer Down Festival 2018[/media-credit]

#89  Donchez with West Midlands Police officers 

[media-credit name=”Vimal Korpal ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Vimal Korpal 03[/media-credit]

#90  Presenting on the Main Stage

[media-credit name=”Vimal Korpal ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Vimal Korpal 05[/media-credit]

#91  BBC Doctor’s Bharti Patel at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Vimal Korpal ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Vimal Korpal 05[/media-credit]

#92  Smiling couple at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Vimal Korpal ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Vimal Korpal 20[/media-credit]

#93 Janel Antoneshia on the Simmer Down main stage

[media-credit name=”Vimal Korpal ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Janel Antoneshia. Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Vimal Korpal.[/media-credit]

#94  Performing on the Main Stage

[media-credit name=”Vimal Korpal ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Vimal Korpal 12[/media-credit]

#95  Simmer Down security staff

[media-credit name=”Vimal Korpal ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Vimal Korpal 06[/media-credit]

#96 Chilling at Simmer Down Festival 

[media-credit name=”Vimal Korpal ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Aysha Z. Khan and friend[/media-credit]

#97  Inner Circle command the Simmer Down crowds

[media-credit name=”Vimal Korpal ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Vimal Korpal 26[/media-credit]

#98  Paulette Francis-Green and BBC Radio WM

[media-credit name=”Vimal Korpal ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Vimal Korpal 10[/media-credit]

#99  Happy couple at Simmer Down

[media-credit name=”Vimal Korpal ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth in Birmingham by Vimal Korpal 25[/media-credit]

#100  Ammo Talwar MBE from Punch Records

[media-credit name=”Adam Yosef ” align=”alignnone” width=”800″]Attendees and artists at the Simmer Down Festival 2018 in Handsworth Park in Birmingham in a photo by Adam Yosef[/media-credit]

 

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

Related News

Back To Top