Looking for the latest lineup, date, ticket information or latest news about your favourite festivals, look no further. Summer Festival Guide’s Festival News section covers all your needs!
On Sunday 12th July one of Britain’s biggest bands Spandau Ballet will take to the Floating Stage and close 2015’s fun-loving & quirky festival. With ten UK top 10 singles, eight top 10 albums and a catalogue of iconic hits including, Through The Barricades, To Cut A Long Story Short, Gold and the legendary number 1 single True; Spandau Ballet are one of the most successful groups to emerge from the New Romantic era and are sure to give the Henley Festival crowd a foot-stomping performance this July. Tickets are on sale from 2pm www.henley-festival.co.uk priced from £35.
Known for its summer evenings, full of eclectic & world-class performances on the stunning banks of the River Thames, Henley Festival’s mix of entertainment from across the globe never fails to impress & excite guests. Once through the doors, the weird & wonderful worlds of art, comedy, theatre and fine dining collide with unexpected surprises waiting for you at every turn. Just 6,000 tickets are available for each black tie evening; so don’t miss your chance to experience the magic.
Spandau Ballet said:“Summer by the Thames at Henley sounds like an offer not to be refused. We can’t wait to see everyone there and raise money for such a good cause."
Smashing it out of the park on the greatest opening night Bestival has ever seen, The Big Top is where you’re gonna want to be. With a headline set from techno lords Underworld and the unique talents of Jamie xx topping the bill, The Big Top will be bouncing to Black Butter Soundsystem action from special guests Rudimental who will be rocking the decks with big tunes, plus there will be garage duo Gorgon City, dubstep don Kidnap Kid,Onemangoing back to back with My Nu Leng and bass bad boy Karma Kid.
Taking place at a beautiful new, South London location on Saturday 13thJune, Found Festival 2015 will expand across five stages at Brixton’s Brockwell Park. 2015 is set to showcase leading figures in house and techno from across the UK, Europe and USA including Guy Gerber, Ellen Allien, Anja Schneider, Motor City Drum Ensemble, George Fitzgerald, Alan Fitzpatrick, Genius Of Time, Davide Squillace, Matthias Tanzmann, Ron Trent, Tevo Howard, Nick Curly, Dark Sky, Mosca, Marquis Hawkes.
Taking headline duties on the open-air main stage, Guy Gerber steps up for his Found debut. His unmistakable brand of deeply emotive, fluid techno, stunningly captured in his critically acclaimed Fabriclive 64 mix – released in 2012 – has seen him become one of clubland’s most sought-after producers and the perfect choice to bring a euphoric climax to Found Festival’s third edition. Representing two of Berlin’s leading imprints, BPitch Control head honcho Ellen Allien returns after her stand-out set for Found’s inaugural Halloween double-header last autumn as well as Found favourite and Mobilee label boss Anja Schneider.
Simultaneously retro and futuristic German house pioneer Danilo Plessow akaMotor City Drum Ensemble will also make his Found debut, whilst San Soda returns after his dancefloor pounding set at Found’s Love Fever arena last year, with production partner Red D to bring their acclaimed FCL project to the Main stage. Ruthless analog bandits Genius Of Time are also set to appear, with Tresor stalwarts Zenker Brothers and founder of Moscow Records and Moss. Co, Archie Hamilton welcoming the gathering crowds at Brockwell Park.
Having curated day one of their Halloween event last October, Found welcomesGeorge FitzGerald to Brockwell Park with an army of truly cutting edge house and techno purveyors set to serious future stars. Festival-goers can expect Alan Fitzpatrick's trademark tough grooves, the live sounds of Bob Moses' vocal deep house, the precise and calculated sound of Kompakt’s Barnt, a set from famed festival powerhouse promoters, Dekmantel Soundsystem and Lobster Theremin head honcho Asquith. More special guests are still to be announced.
Nick Curly’s Trust launched in early 2014 and has quickly gathered a reputation for exceptional music and wild parties. Bringing the project to Found, Curly has enlisted Conform record signing, Davide Squillace, Circo Loco resident, Matthias Tanzmann, Point G and his paired down house tools and a back-to-back set fromRandall M and Bella Sarris.
A collective close to Found's heart, London based party connoisseurs, Feelings will curate an arena dedicated to house, soul, funk and disco. Heading proceedings,Ron Trent, is considered to be an architect of Chicago’s vibrant music scene as founder of legendary nightclub Vinyl in downtown Manhattan and lead resident for Giant Step at NYC’s infamous Shine. He is joined by an ensemble of vibe wielding heavywieghts including Detroit producer and DJ, Andrés, Chicago house maverick and founder of the Beautiful Granville Studios, Tevo Howard and The Black Madonna – known for her uplifting sets balancing timeless anthems with idiosyncratic selections. Adding to this formidable programme is Melbourne based DJ/Producer, Francis Inferno Orchestra's and his productions which join the dots between soul, disco and the sample based music that inspired him as a teenager as well as Love Fever’s, Kasra V and the Feelings residents.
With a tagline like, 'Dont Assume', you can only expect the unexpected from VIP hosts, NTS. Founded in 2011, the independent online radio project has shot to fame, now broadcast worldwide with over 160 regular shows and won Mixcloud’s award 2014 'Best Online Radio Station in the World’. They have assembled a lineup that doesn't disappoint with a hefty offering of edgy underground sounds from Dark Sky,Mosca, Marquis Hawkes, Bell Towers, Bradley Zero, Drakeford, Cheerystones,Debonair and Mr Wonderful set to entertain the crowds at Found Festival’s beautiful VIP arena, also offering garden seating area, luxury toilets, exclusive cocktail bar and an offering of gourmet street food from the acclaimed Burger and Lobster, who will be serving their famous Nova Scotian Lobster Rolls all day in the VIP area.
FOUND MAIN STAGE
Guy Gerber Ellen Allien Anja Schneider Motor City Drum Ensemble FCL Genius Of Time Zenker Brothers Archie Hamilton
GEORGE FITZGERALD PRESENTS
Alan Fitzpatrick Bob Moses live Barnt Dekmantel Soundsystem Asquith and George FitzGerald plus special guests to be revealed
NICK CURLY PRESENTS TRUST
Davide Squillace Matthias Tanzmann Ryan Crosson Point G D'Julz Bella Sarris b2b Randall M and Nick Curly
FEELINGS
Ron Trent Andrés Tevo Howard The Black Madonna Francis Inferno Orchestra Kasra V Feelings Residents
VIP presented by NTS
Dark Sky Mosca Marquis Hawkes Bell Towers Bradley Zero Drakeford Cheerystones Debonair Mr Wonderful plusfood by Burger and Lobster
Added to the already captivating line-up are electronic-infused pop duo Milky Chance, Mercury Music Prize-nominee Nick Mulvey and Black Butter Records’ dancefloor heroes Gorgon City, plus many more. For further information and to buy tickets visit the No Tomorrow website.
Milky Chance’s unique style of electronic-infused pop tracks such as ‘Stolen Dance’ and ‘Down By The River’ have clocked up over 170 million views on YouTube. The duo consisting of Clemens Rehbein and Philipp Dausch have previously sold out two successive nights at Shepherd’s Bush Empire and scored number one singles in several European countries, an impressive feat for relative newcomers. They are being championed by the likes of Radio 1 and this summer is primed for their appearance at Nottingham’s No Tomorrow.
North London producers Gorgon City have racked up a top 10 album and two top 10 singles in the UK charts including ‘Ready For Your Love’, a track featuring fellow No Tomorrow performer MNEK. Their sound channels British warehouse vibes however, with SXSW showcases on the horizon, Gorgon City are headed for the global stage via their infectious club tunes and chart infiltrating hits.
Schooled in Havana, Cuba, Nick Mulvey brings a worldly mindset to his music. With two Mercury Music Prize nominations under his belt, one for his part in Portico Quartet and another as a solo artist in his own right, Mulvey is steadily ascending the scale of critically acclaimed singer-songwriters on home-ground here in the UK. His set at No Tomorrow in June will be an especially blissed-out moment of the weekend featuring tracks from his top 10 album, ‘First Mind’.
Continuing the thread of up and coming talent is SOAK, the 18-year-old singer-songwriter from Ireland who has been on multiple ‘ones-to-watch’ lists over the past couple of years including the BBC Sound of 2015. Now fully breaking through into the charts with melancholic hits such as ‘B a noBody’ and the Radio 1 A-listed track ‘Sea Creatures’, SOAK will surely be a highlight for No Tomorrow.
Another act to have collaborated with the prolific MNEK and confirmed to appear at No Tomorrow is Karen Harding. Her track ‘Say Something’ has been certified as Silver by the BPI, selling over 200,000 copies since its release in January, making the tune one of 2015’s biggest singles so far.
Further breaking talent showcasing at the festival comes in the form of Manchester soul man JP Cooper. Cooper is a recent signing to the legendary Island Records, he has toured with Angie Stone and collaborated with George The Poet. Dubbed ‘Hot for 2015’ by BBC Radio 1Xtra the next addition, Zak Abel, has been building quite a reputation for his strong, distinctive vocals as featured on ‘Unmissable’, the Top 20 track by fellow No Tomorrow act Gorgon City. The festival keeps things in the family with label mates to Gorgon City, My Nu Leng. The Bristol-based My Nu Leng come highly recommended by taste-makers at Rinse, Radio 1, 1Xtra and more.
Finally in keeping with the electronic theme, Dirtybird co-founder Justin Martin will no doubt get the crowds dancing with his signature jacking beats. Meanwhile chief remixer, Kiss FM stalwart and Bastille-collaborator Grades will bring his hits such as ‘Crocodile Tears’ to the No Tomorrow airwaves.
This year, The Den team have really pulled it out of the bag for their Talks and Q&As, starting with a total coup – Off the Record with Professor Green. A massive exclusive for The Den –so that means it’s for teens only! – Camp Bestival head honcho, Rob da Bank, will be interviewing Hackney’s finest lyrical genius about everything from breaking into the music business, to topping the charts. Totally unmissable!
The Den will also have the honour of welcoming BBC Radio 1 star, Dr Radha, for a very specialThe Den Surgery with Dr Radha, plus they’ll have the inspirational story of the youngest ever Poetry Slam world champion, Harry Baker – The Sunshine Kid, and everything you need to know about getting yourself heard online, with our Blogging: How To! With Teen Vogue.
You’ll also be able to get the inside track at the Give-It-A-Go Sessions across the weekend. You can perfect your festival swag with DIY Festival Fashion, or enjoy energising morning action with Disco Yoga. Liberate your inner poet with Cecilia Knapp in Spoken Word 101, or use creative writing to try out a bit of self-discovery with Getting To Grips! You can also get involved with the amazing BRIT School to learn the moves from chart-smashing vids with Music Video Masterclass, join Laurie Bolger who will help you create inventive and adventurous poems in Poetry & Lyrics, or learn free-running from the experts and be blown away by their demos with Parkour Pop-Up. The Den will also play host to Spoken Word including coming of age act Finding Home, Roundhouse performance poet, Maria Ferguson, thought provoking verse in an exclusive appearance from Samuel King and Laurie Bolger who has been shortlisted as London's Young Poet Laureate.
If you’re coming for the beats then The Den: Afterhours! is for you, with an amazing array of DJs, live acts, dancers and drummers taking you into the night. Friday night’s flavour isDancehall, and there will be hula madness aplenty with hosts Marawa and the Majorettes, Saturday sees a Totally Tropical Takeover, and Sunday will be Wild! And live music in The Den will come from Rats In Me Kitchen, Pocket Club, Rive, Karyma and Eden Roxx.
And, situated right alongside The Den will be Rob da Bank’s Music Club. Putting on exclusive workshops, demonstrations, inspirational speakers and general chill out, with music and performance for 13 – 17 year-olds – it’s only teens allowed. So, come, be inspired, entertained and learn the occasional thing along the way!
Returning to the Capital for the first time since headlining our 10th Anniversary back in 2013, we can reveal that Armin van Buuren will present the UK debut of his ‘Gaia’ alias at SW4 2015. Firmly based around his uplifting and euphoric sound, Gaia has been a production name for Armin since the late nineties, however only now is he ready to bring this to a live audience. Having specifically chosen SW4 to showcase this new concept in a full UK festival exclusive, this appearance will look to build on the inaugural performance of Gaia which destroyed Miami’s Ultra Music Festival last year. With a new Armin album in the pipeline for release later this year, this reincarnation of one the world’s greatest DJs is set to shake London to its very core. You’d better be prepared for this…
ARMIN VAN BUUREN SPEAKS TO SW4…
Ahead of the UK debut of Gaia, Armin van Buuren spoke exclusively with the South West Four website to give some insight into this hugely anticipated performance. Armin explains how the Gaia concept came about and why SW4 is the “logical choice” for its inaugural performance of the project on our shores. We look back at Armin’s previous performances at South West Four and why this will be his most memorable set at the festival to date.
SW4 SATURDAY LINEUP SO FAR…
Faithless
Fatboy Slim
Eric Prydz
In alphabetical order: Aly & Fila Andrew Rayel
Anjunabeats Showcase
Bakermat
Black Coffee Carl Craig ft ‘Mad’ Mike Banks [Live]
Dubfire: Live Hybrid
Fritz Kalkbrenner
Gorgon City vs Pete Tong
Green Velvet vs Patrick Topping
Hannah Wants
Henrik Schwarz [Live]
Hot Since 82
Kölsch
Luciano MaRLo
Nic Fanciulli Pan-Pot Pleasurekraft
Sasha
Secondcity Solomun vs Àme Tube & Berger ft Paji [Live]
One of the UK’s most enduring home grown indie rock acts The Charlatans are confirmed to headline the Big Top stage on the Sunday night. The band recently released their 12th studio album ‘Modern Nature’, marking 25 years since their debut was released in 1990, receiving rave reviews in the press with The Guardian describing it as ‘possibly the best album of their career’. With multiple Number One albums and four Top Ten singles, The Charlatans will be closing the festival in style.
Hotly tipped Anglo-Aussie indie-rock quartet Sunset Sons have seen their momentum rapidly growing in 2015 since being named on the BBC’s Sound of 2015 long list, and MTV Brand New’s shortlist. The release of their third EP ‘The Fall Line’ earlier this year saw Sunset Sons riding high in the iTunes chart and have seen the majority of their UK tour dates sold out already. They will be hoping to draw similar crowds over the festival weekend.
American sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell make up the American rock band Larkin Poe. Known for their strong southern harmonies and heavy guitar riffs, their debut album ‘Kin’ was released in the summer of 2014. Having previously toured as backing musicians for a variety of other acts including Elvis Costello, Larkin Poe are stepping centre stage as they perform at The Isle of Wight Festival in June.
Country duo The Shires only formed in 2013 and they are already the first British country act to reach the Top 10 with their first studio album ‘Brave’. With what the Evening Standard calls their ‘divine harmonies’ they will be touring the UK this April ahead of their Isle of Wight Festival slot in June.
Legendary punk rockers Stiff Little Fingers will be making some noise at the Isle of Wight Festival this year. Fans can expect to hear tracks from their iconic early material as well as songs from their 2014 album ‘No Going Back’, in celebration of their successful two decades in the British music scene as punk pioneers.
Also confirmed to play this year’s Isle of Wight Festival are Fleetwood Mac, The Black Keys, The Prodigy, Pharrell Williams, Paolo Nutini, Billy Idol, You Me At Six, Jessie Ware, Jess Glynne, James Bay, First Aid Kit, James and many more – for full line up details go to www.isleofwightfestival.com.
Hip Hop artist Kanye West will headline this years Glastonbury on Saturday. He will take the top spot on the world famous Pyramid Stage along with The Foo Fighters who will headline Friday night.
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We still have many more announcements to make for this years Glastonbury!
Today the festival invites even more names to the party including pioneering shoegazers The Horrors. With four acclaimed albums under their belts, the UK band are set to take festival-goers on a journey into blissful psychedelia with their unique sound when they take to the main stage this August.
In keeping with the birthday celebrations, Will & The People will no doubt have Standon Calling revellers in the party spirit with their raucous mix of reggae, ska and rock. The self-funded Brighton four-piece have become somewhat of a phenomena after selling out headline tours in Europe, playing four continents and releasing three albums. Renowned for their high energy live shows, The Cuban Brothersjoin in on the celebrations over the weekend for plenty of musical numbers, breakdancing and tongue in cheek hilarity.
This year Standon Calling's own famous nightclub, The Cowshed, will be taken over each night by a different host for three very different parties. Outrageous polysexual club crew Sink The Pink invite all to lose their inhibitions with their brand new dirty disco party Savage, Bondax bring the sounds of the summer with woozy R&B-tinged house and Gilles Peterson & Patrick Forge haul their massive record collections into The Cowshed to present the legendary jazz, funk and dance sounds of the original Dingwalls Sunday Sessions, established in 1987.
Perched on the lawn next to the festival's own swimming pool is The Last Dance Saloon, where BBC Introducing are set to champion new music with upcoming local acts, while independent record labelsLoose Music and Bella Union will be showcasing their own talent across the weekend. Acts for The Last Dance Saloon to be announced very soon.
Other highlights from today's additions include one of Q Magazine's “ten DJs to see before you die” DJ Yoda, Swedish/Gambian songstress Seinabo Sey and Scottish synth poppers Prides, who closed last year's Commonwealth Games.
Alongside the music, Standon Calling has revealed a myriad of activities and entertainment on offer across the site in keeping with its new theme 'A Town of Two Faces'. Inspired by the Wild West with a twist, one can brave a visit to Dr. Leech’s Wellness Center & Funeral Parlour to take A Beginners Class in Taxidermy and learn how to survive a standoff with a rattlesnake, get up close and personal with animals from the West at Wild Wyatt's Traveling Menagerie, or try their hand at Death Drawing with Art Macabre. Festival-goers can gather in The Town Square and get their dancing shoes on at The Dance Off’s Hillbilly Hoedown or take centre stage with the ever-popular Rockaoke. At The Church Fate join Legs Akimbo who will be delivering the kind of service you won't want to miss. Plus, fresh from their smash-hit V&A show, boundary-pushing art collective The Treatment Rooms return to Standon to offer revellers the chance to mosaic their own tombstone and take The Ride of Your Life in the Voodoo Taxi Wagon. The wonderful Salon London will also return to The Last Dance Saloon to host a selection of inspiring and surprising interactive talks and classes on the subject of Dark Matters and Bright Ideas.
Kicking off the festival season and having already announced a huge lineup including Carl Barat & The Jackals, Dry The River, Dutch Uncles, Thurston Moore, Eagulls, Stormzy, Swim Deep and Hookworms, Live At Leeds are proud to announce the addition of The Cribs to the festival.
With their forthcoming sixth album ‘For All My Sisters’ due on March 23rd, the Wakefield trio are back after what feels like a far too lengthy absence. From the punk squall of seminal signature tune ‘Hey Scenesters!’ through to enlisting Smiths legend Johnny Marr for full length ‘Ignore The Ignorant’ they are a band that have consistently pushed the boundaries of indie music and their attitude befits the festival perfectly. Festival-goers can preorder the album alongside their Live At Leeds tickets at http://smarturl.it/CribsLeeds
The Cribs’ Gary Jarman says:
“We are really looking forward to headlining Live at Leeds. It's cool because Leeds has always embraced us, and so to be asked to play our 'comeback' show headlining the festival is something that we are really looking forward to. The two nights we played at the Academy in december 2013 were the last shows that we played in the city, and they were 2 of our all time favourite gigs – so we have nothing but good feelings towards Leeds right now.”
Sheffield’s Rolo Tomassi have relentlessly pushed the envelope of heavy music since their inception in 2005. Ten years of progression have lead to their eagerly anticipated upcoming album ‘Grievances’ and Live At Leeds are extremely excited to have them back.
Rolo Tomassi’s James Spence says:
"We're pleased to have the opportunity to return to play this years Live at Leeds. Having played the festival in 2010, we know what its all about and are glad to be joining an already fantastic line-up and I hope to catch a bunch of acts on the day!"
Also joining this year’s lineup today are Amy Studt, Charlie Hole, Dan Owen, Elderbrook, Fossa, Johnny O’Donnell, Jonny Quits, Rupert Stroud,Samuel S Parkes, Sophie Jamieson, The Vryll Society and Whilk and Misky.
