The charm and warmth of a classic British summer may have come to an end, but at the Secret Garden, the party continues with news that the SECRET GARDEN PARTY’S CHRISTMAS VOYAGE has now confirmed.

The Secret Garden Party cordially invites you aboard the wildest ocean liner ever to set sail. The HMS Ulysses (aka The Troxy) will play host to an all night party in a beautifully dressed art-deco setting, featuring all the usual irreverent fun and frolicking of the main event, with a nautical twist.

The French psychologists-cum-electronic-rock exemplars Rinôçérôse will headline the music bill aboard the HMS Ulysses, casing their sleazy house tunes into the live performance of subtle, yet distinctive, guitar and vocal onslaughts that has earned their reputation as live dance pioneers across Europe.

Their unique take on guitar music is the perfect balance between the club and the disco, lines also distorted by The Correspondents who add swing and a big-band ethos to catchy, kitschy pop. MC Mr Bruce and DJ/Producer Mr Chuckles collaborate to make Hip Hop for the 1930s, Big Band music for the 00s. Splicing swing samples with squelchy synths over dusty drum loops they’ve depicted a modern day journey into time of rogue’s, lust, affordable clowns and foot-tapping toe curling dance floor swing beat.

Described by Clash magazine as being “a seductively dangerous and unique listen“, the big band approach is also employed by The Destroyers who add theatrics and a sense of bleak, urbane magic to their performance which oozes a technical quality and a rich, eclectically influenced sound.

The wonderfully nostalgic main-stage bill is completed with joyful cabaret jazz ensemble Ta Mère. Four-guys-about-town, on the town, getting down and swinging hard. A creation by special request of the BBC for the 2007 Glasgow Film Festival, they've catapulted from these auspicious beginnings directly onto the London scene. Since then, Ta Mère has headlined at the London Burlesque Festival, and has "swung their stuff" at Glastonbury Festival, and for Channel 4, Sky TV, Matchbox Magazine and further BBC events."

Crewed by the Head Gardeners and a host of Gideon Reeling’s Assistants to guide you, explore the ballrooms, dining terraces, cocktail bars, secret steerage parties and hidden passage-ways of the retro-future oceangoing colossus. Passengers who choose to travel First Class will be collected from an impromptu port established at The Counting House, a delightful city Port, where your trip begins. There are only limited First Class tickets – available on a first come first served basis. Other passengers will make their own way to the ship.

All who sail on her will find themselves in first class luxury; the lure and lore of glitzy 1920’s elitism with all the frenzied atmosphere of the lower decks. With everybody dressed in their finest, and prepared to go down like ladies and gentlemen with their vessel, the party shall reach a climactic celebration of excess in the final few hours before dawn.

The HMS Ulysses will make only one voyage and she intends to enthral her guests for every minute they remain aboard; featuring radical performances, big band swing, Rats Shooting Craps, Badger Bar fighting, Dance Off Crew, Bearded Kitten’s Pick Pocket Wenches, magicians and conjurers, Turkish baths, life-drawing, science experiments, explorer tales, high-stakes poker and a grand finale to immortalise the voyage.

As always the Head Gardeners have set a fancy dress theme to inspire the best from their guests. Ladies and gentlemen are required to embody Silly Fillies and Dilly Toffs, Futuristic Pirates, Ancient Sea Creatures from the Deep and Naval Officers from the Bridge. To aid your experience, Prangsta are offering 20% discount for anybody going to the event.

Tickers are available from www.secretgardenparty.com for £45 +BF with all early-bird first-class tickets now sold out. Early bird tickets for the main event in July 2010 have also sold out, but standard tickets are now also available from www.secretgardenparty.com priced at £142 +BF, the ideal Christmas present.

For more information, and tickets, visit:

www.secretgardenparty.com