Summer Festival Guide

The Offspring, Status Quo, Steel Panther and more for Download 2014

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Download Festival’s 12th year is shaping up to be one of its best as the 2014 line up for Europe’s biggest rock festival continues to swarm over every inch of the rock, metal, punk and alternative music landscape like a zombie crusade.

Pop Punk royalty The Offspring will be returning to Download after a long absence from the festival, having appeared just once before in 2008.

The Offspring @ Download Festival 2014

Guitarist Noodles commented: It's been six years since we first played Download and we can't wait to return and rip it up. Stoked!

Rock legends Status Quo, who released their 100th single in 2013, make their Download Festival debut after over 50 years of producing some of the biggest guitar anthems in history and will be performing a purely greatest hits set.

On the prospect of returning to Donington, frontman Francis Rossi said: When Status Quo once again take to the Donington stage, it will have been 32 years since we headlined the Monsters of Rock Festival on August 21st 1982. That year saw the Falklands War, the launch of the Commodore 64, Aston Villa winning the European Cup and the raising of the Mary Rose. You might say a lot has changed since then but we are still rocking, and still playing the Quo hits. See you there.

The Quo will be joined by Metal titans Trivium who return to Donington for a very special performance of the set they played at their legendary first Download Main Stage appearance in 2005.

Bassist Paolo Gregoletto said: We are thrilled to be returning to Download for our 5th time. In honour of both the festival and fans that embraced Trivium first, we have decided to play our 2005 set list from start to finish, preceded by a set of some our other festival favourite tunes.  However, to make it all the more unique,  we will be playing this "one time only" set on the Red Bull Stage,  the most intimate and intense setting possible for revisiting this special moment in time.  We have had some of our best experiences as a band on the hallowed grounds of Donington, and this is shaping up to be one of our most exciting ones yet!  Do not miss it!

Swedish metallers In Flames will also be joining the bill. Speaking on their return to the Home of Rock, frontman Anders Friden, added:

It has been a while since we last played the UK, so we are all excited and looking forward to coming back to play at Download Festival 2014.

Covering the classic metal end of the spectrum will be Steel Panther. A firm fan favourite, the spandex-clad, Sunset Strip rockers will be storming the sacred Donington stage for a fourth time.

Drummer Stix Zadinia said: Fish and chips. Tea and biscuits. Monty and Pythons. Steel Panther and Download Festival. These are four examples of how nature has been able to strike the perfect balance of harmony and elegance between two glorious and powerful things. We are so excited to come back and play Download Festival 2014. This was the place where we were truly introduced to the UK and it always feels like a homecoming to us. We in Steel Panther, are going to attempt to rock you so hard, that it will take you approximately one whole year to recover, only to muster enough energy to come back to DL2015 the following year to try to handle the power again! Roll on June!

Also joining the bill are melodic death metallers The Black Dahlia Murder,  Sheffield’s finest While She Sleeps, Arizona’s Blessthefall, Japanese electro metalcore outfit Crossfaith, Californian soul punks Letlive, Metalcore giants Miss May I and, of course, after the phenomenal demand of #whynotdyingfetus Dying Fetus .

All of these huge bands will join headliners Aerosmith, Avenged Sevenfold and Linkin Park – playing their celebrated debut album Hybrid Theory in full –  as well as special guests Alter Bridge, Rob Zombie and Fall Out Boy – all of whom were announced earlier this month.

Also check out Download’s latest viral campaign, Download Family Album. This crowd sourced photography collection will allow members of the scariest non-Addams family on the planet to share awesome rock iconography and Download memories over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Download team will use a tailored #Hashtag to set a new project every week, with themes including Thrash Tats, Air Guitar Antics, Rock Kids and Main Stage Mayhem, so get involved and get snapping!

Union J announced for Osfest 2014

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Get UNION J in your Christmas Stocking, the chart topping boy band our the first act to be announced for Osfest 2014! 

OSFEST HQ is excited to announce that we have released 750 Early Buy Tickets Today (Friday 22nd November). 

Union J @ OsFest

Tickets are available to buy online at www.osfest.co.uk or buy calling 01691 680468.

Early Buy Prices:

EARLY BUY WEEKEND CAMPING ADULT £64.50

UNDER 16 £54.50

UNDER 10 £10.00

Osfest takes place on May Bank Holiday Weekend:

Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th May 2014.

Oswestry Showground, Shropshire.

Unknown Croatia 2014 Earlybird Tickets onsale now!

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Today Unknown Croatia announces its return for 2014 as earlybird tickets go on sale. The highlight event of the summer will once again invite thousands of revelers to its stunning Adriatic setting with an ultimate soundtrack to match. Between the 8th and 12th of September the world's leading Live musicians, DJs, underground talent and artists will be brought together again for what promises to be yet another amazingly eclectic experience. Fans can now buy limited earlybird tickets from the Unknown Croatia website for just £109.
 
This year Unknown Croatia curated one of the most unique line-ups of the summer as well as embracing all things mystical and creative with art installations by Kid Acne, Mad Ferret's Mirror World, pop-up folk bands and giant glitter fuelled walking octopuses. Thousands made the journey to the beautiful resort on Croatia's coast to see the likes of Django Django, Disclosure, Jessie Ware, Jagwar Ma, The Horrors, TEED, Lulu James and Jon Hopkins perform unforgettable live shows on the main stage. Not to mention mind blowing sets from DJs including Richie Hawtin, Four Tet, Kerri Chandler, Dixon, Tiga, Nina Kraviz, Michael Mayer,Daniel Avery, Scuba, Cryil Hahn and so many more!
 
Unknown Croatia 2014
 
Revelers took advantage of the resort's crystal clear waters and stunning beaches and delved into the Unknown, discovering intimate forest performances, amazing pool and boat parties, pop up boutiques, large scale games and not to mention the world's first ever Boiler Room Island. Unique collaborations with leading promoter’s such as Bugged Out and Eat Your Own Ears, as well as respected labels Kompakt and Phantasy, further cemented Unknown Croatia's position on the festival calendar.
 
Having sold out well in advance this year, anticipation is hotting up for Unknown Croatia 2014 and those not wanting to miss out can secure their earlybird tickets now. Sound Channel, creators of Unknown, are urging fans to visit the Unknown website to secure their place for 2014 plus ticket holders can also get a taste of what to expect with rolling highlights footage from this year.

Trentemøller, Diplo and more added to Sonar Reykjavík 2014

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Trentemøller, Diplo and FM Belfast added to the Sónar Reykjavík line-up

We’re proud to announce the latest additions of artists to perform at Sónar Reykjavík 2014, February 13-15.

Since his storming DJ set Sónar Reykjavík earlier this year Trentemøller has released his third full length album, the critically acclaimed Lost, and a Live in Copenhagen compilation of some of his best works. The Danish electronic icon will be making a return to the festival in February, this time bringing his band and full live show experience to Reykjavik!

The line-up to Sónar Reykjavík car park stage, the underground dancefloor we’ll set-up beneath the Harpa, is also getting bigger and better. Latest add-on of DJs to its programme being no other than worldwide star producer, DJ virtuoso, Mad Decent label boss and Major Lazer forerunner; Diplo.

Diplo Sonar 2014

Iceland’s friendliest band, FM Belfast, which among others includes Örvar Smáreyjarson Þóreyjarsonof Múm and has earned a reputation to be one of Iceland’s most energetic live acts, will be performing at one of Harpa’s main stages. So will President Bongo of GusGus and DJ Margeir, who, along with guests, come back to the festival with their arsenal of rotating musical mass as Gluteus Maximus.

Others from the vibrant local music scene now added to the bill include; Iceland’s techno wizard Exos, the minimalistic yet intricate Tonik, local hip hop pioneer CELL7 and the debut the unique approach to composition of multi-instrumental musician Högni Egilsson making his live debut under his alias HE.

The final line-up will consist of more than 60 artist, bands and DJs, so there is more to come!

Sónar Reykjavík 2014 takes place at one of Europe's most unique concert venues; Harpa – with five different stages; Silfuberg, Norðurljós, Kaldalón, Flói and the underground car-park, which will quickly become a classic.

Bilbao BBK Live announces first acts for 2014

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Bilbao BBK Live festival is proud to announce that Phoenix, The Lumineers, The 1975, Elliott Brood and Spanish bands Dorian, Los Enemigos and El Columpio Asesino are the first bands confirmed for the ninth edition of the festival, scheduled to take place from the 10th to 12th July, in the northern Spanish city of Bilbao.

The Lumineers @ Bilbao BBK Live 2014

3 day early bird tickets (incl camping) have now been released and are available for £76 + booking fee on Ticketweb and Eufest.

Arctic Monkeys to headline T in the Park 2014

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Festival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager are hugely excited to confirm that Arctic Monkeys will headline T in the Park 2014.
 
The band said: “We are delighted to be playing T in the Park and look forward to a great night with our Scottish fans.”
 
This year’s glorious 20th year celebrations were widely hailed as the best T in the Parkever, and Arctic Monkeys are the first headliners – and the first act – to be announced for next year’s festival which will take place over 11th – 13th July 2014.
 
Since Arctic Monkeys burst on to the scene with their record-breaking, Mercury Music Prize-winning debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, the band have seen all five of their studio albums hit the no.1 spot. Their unstoppable career reached stratospheric new heights this year with the release of the universally acclaimed AM, which was hailed by critics as their finest album to date.
 
Arctic Monkeys
 
Geoff Ellis, Festival Director, said: “We’re thrilled to announce Arctic Monkeys as our first headliners for T in the Park 2014. After this year’s fantastic 20th year celebrations, we asked our audience who they’d like to see at next year’s festival and Arctic Monkeys came top of the poll, so we’re really pleased to be able to confirm them for T in the Park. When they take to the stage in Glasgow this week they’ll prove exactly why they’re one of the greatest live acts around, and I’m sure we can look forward to another phenomenal set at T in the Park. We have many more fantastic acts in store which we’ll announce next year, and can’t wait to see you all again in July.”
 
George Kyle, Head of Sponsorship, Tennent’s Lager, said: “This year’s T in the Park was one of the best ever, and I’m sure we have another wonderful weekend in store next July – Arctic Monkeys will put on a phenomenal show. As founding partner, Tennent’s have been the T in T in the Park since the very beginning and we’re exceptionally proud to still be a part of this incredible festival as it enters into its third decade.”

Stereosonic Sydney SOLD OUT

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Cementing Stereosonic as the premier electronic music festival in Australia, the Sydney event is now officially sold out. 
Indicating the need for an Australian electronic music festival to expand to a two day format, Stereosonic fans have reacted positively to the expansion through unprecedented ticket sales and support. 

Further indicating Stereosonic’s phenomenal success this year, Stereosonic Sydney expanded its capacity to 65,000 attendees.  The rise and rise of electronic music and the international quality of Stereosonic can be attributed to the successful sold out sales result. 

Calvin Harris

Concerns about scalping and fake tickets to the festival being circulated on un-authorised third party sites (such as eBay, Gumtree and Facebook), have prompted the organisers of Stereosonic to take a proactive approach to scalping.  50 tickets per day to the Sydney event have been reserved on Ticketmaster for a limited time, commencing at 9am tomorrow morning (Wednesday 20th November) until Friday 29th November.  Tickets will be released at 9am (AEDT) each day.  This initiative has been launched in the hope of dispelling the continual concerns and enquiries about scalping and ticket authenticity on un-authorised third party sites from Stereosonic fans. 

Photo courtesy of Rukes.com

Parklife Weekender pre-sale registration details

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The Parklife Weekender is set to introduce a new pre-sale ticket registration for 2014, offering registered fans a cheaper ticket for a limited time. The news comes as the fastest growing festival in the UK is named as a Major Festival by this year's UK Festival Awards, going head-to-head with the likes of Glastonbury, Bestival, Download, Reading and Leeds for the prestigious Best Major Festival title. Those that register for The Parklife Weekender 2014 will have the chance to buy an exclusive early-bird ticket at £69.50, the same price as 2013, plus will be entered into The Ultimate Parklife Experience Competition. One lucky Parklife fan will win a host of VIP extras including arriving in a Helicopter, backstage passes, a personal parklife photographer, hotel accommodation and much more. Head over to  www.parklife.uk.com for more information and to register.

As Manchester's musical mecca, The Parklife Weekender has firmly established itself as a must attend weekend for the north of England. 2013 saw 80,000 revellers journey to the iconic Heaton Park to witness an array of world class acts perform across eight stages, including the likes of Jessie Ware,Johnny Marr, The Horrors, Disclosure, Rita Ora, Example and Jurassic 5. For just £69.50, Parklife is one of the best value for money festivals in the world, and offering a line-up that spans a host of genres from pop to rock, house to techno and folk to hip hop, there really is something for everyone.

The Ultimate Parklife Experience is a chance for all pre-registered festival goers to win a once-in-a-lifetime-chance to experience Parklife as a mega VIP. The festival team are offering one music fan 4 x VIP tickets to The Parklife Weekender 2014, arrival at the festival in a Helicopter, backstage passes, party on the mainstage to one of the 2014 artists, two nights hotel accommodation in Manchester for four people, a hotel room fully stocked with drinks and food, a personal parklife photographer, free drinks and food all day, Parklife Weekender merchandise, a tour of the festival in a backstage golf buggy plus free after party entry! Now in it's 4th year, Parklife is set to return bigger and better than ever, again becoming the musical highlight for thousands next summer. There's plenty more news to come, so watch this space. 

Parklife Weekender 2014

Bellowhead & Levellers to headline Galtres Festival 2014

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Bellowhead, "the greatest live act in Britain", are to join seminal festival band the Levellers at next year's Galtres Parklands Festival.

The acts will jointly headline the opening Friday, which celebrates the tenth birthday of the festival. Strong double-headliners will soon be revealed for the Saturday and Sunday, joining hundreds more of the best bands from Yorkshire and beyond.

Five-times winner of ‘Best Live Band’ at the Radio 2 Awards, Bellowhead (pictured above) have transported folk music into hitherto unknown territory and spearheaded the new folk boom. They were dubbed “the greatest live act in Britain” by BBC Radio 2’s Simon Mayo, and the hordes of fans that treat every gig as a party clearly agree. They share Galtres' birthday celebrations, with 2014 also being their tenth anniversary. > more about Bellowhead

Levellers return to Galtres by massive popular demand, following a storming headline performance in 2011. Soon after that the band released new studio album Static On The Airwaves, heralded as their most accomplished album to date. But their 25 years in the business are powerful proof of the power of the underground and the power of great live music. Renowned for their energetic live show, longevity has not diminished the Levellers’ ability to put in a performance and get everyone in a field dancing. 

Levellers

Their platinum-selling 1991 album 'Levelling The Land' is widely regarded as an absolute classic and the band celebrated the 20th anniversary of its release at Galtres Festival 2011, which featured hits including One Way, Riverflow, The Game, Far From Home and Liberty Song. >more about Levellers

"Since that amazing Levellers performance a few years back, our social media has been dominated by calls for their return," said festival director James Houston. "There's been a huge buzz around getting Levellers back, and I'm really excited that we've made it happen – and especially that they will join us for our big tenth birthday celebration next year. But having Bellowhead too is an incredible treat – what a line-up! They promise a spectacular and theatrical live show, which will form a fantastic opening night to the festival weekend. We just can't wait!"

James promised a strong supporting programme over the festival weekend, with acts such asThe Men They Couldn't Hang, Blackbeard's Tea Party, Aelfen and Three Sheets t'Wind among a cast of favoured contenders for prominent stage slots.

Ultra Europe dates announced for 2014

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Ultra Europe
ULTRA WORLDWIDE – the world’s most international festival brand – has today announced the dates of ULTRA EUROPE 2014 as the Croatian super festival prepares its return to the beautiful coastal city of Split from 11th – 13th July, 2014.
 
Following a sold out inaugural edition and the biggest international event of its kind EVER to hit Croatia no less, Early Bird Tickets are now on sale for next year available exclusively at the official ULTRA EUROPE website.
 
ULTRA EUROPE 2014
BUY TICKETS NOW
 
In celebration of this exciting news, Ultra have also unveiled the dazzlingly epic aftermovie from this year’s debut event, giving fans who made the journey to Ultra Europe 2013 a chance to relive all of the magic, and offering hopeful 2014 revelers a tantalizing taste of what’s in store for next July!
 
WATCH NOW
‘RELIVE ULTRA EUROPE 2013’ 
 
Over 103,000 fans from more than 75 countries around the world flocked to Croatia’s Dalmatian coast in July 2013 to experience the wonders of the world’s premier electronic music festival, with an extra 6.5 million plus viewers from all corners of the globe tuning into to UMFTV to witness a collection of some of the finest DJs on the planet whipping fans into elated frenzies.
 
 
Superstars such as Armin van Buuren, Avicii, Carl Cox, Afrojack, Hardwell, Fedde Le Grand and Nicky Romero, to name just a handful, took to the decks and absolutely blew the eager crowds of festivalgoers away at the Poljud Stadium in Split, while the likes of Steve Aoki, Chuckie, Dada Life, Cazzette and Nervo held nothing back as they turned the 5-star Hotel Amfora on the picturesque island of Hvar into one of the craziest pool parties ever. Of course Ultra will once again uphold its commitment to delivering a line up of the same unwavering supreme quality for Ultra Europe’s second year, along with the next-level experience and world-beating production values that it guarantees for each and every one of its worldwide events.
 
A limited number of Early Bird tickets for Ultra Europe 2014 are on sale NOW for the unbelievably low price of €75 for all three days of the festival in Split. Head over to the Ultra Europe Official Website to make sure you don’t miss out on this amazing offer as all Early Birds for the first Ultra Europe sold out in just 10 minutes!