Festivals

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!

Blissfields Festival 2011 headliner announced

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ANDY BURROWS / GOLD PANDA / SUBGIANT / DUB PISTOLS / MAN LIKE ME / DAVID E SUGAR / SIXNATIONSTATE / CHRIS T-T / IMPERIAL LEISURE / DOM CHUNG / VARIOUS CRUELTIES / SEAN BROSNAN / THE RIFF RAFF / SOMBRERO SOUND SYSTEM / HUW OLESKER / GARY BENNETTON / BEANS ON TOAST / FEAR OF THEYDON / OLLY SALTER AND BENZO / I DREAM IN COLOUR / POLLY & THE BILLETS DOUX / D-WARRIOR / EMILY AND THE WOODS / + MANY MORE ARTISTS AND ADDITIONAL HEADLINE ACT TBA

With SixNationState headlining on Thursday night, and with former Razorlight member and I Am Arrows front-man Andy Burrows also billed, it’s a line-up that this year aims to champion local talent and celebrate those acts which have conquered every corner of the British Isles and beyond, bringing them back for the ultimate homecoming performances.
 
Previous years have seen Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling, Mystery Jets and Super Furry Animals play the event, but with the addition of Dub Pistols, Gold Panda and many more artists still to announce, including Friday Night’s Headliner, Blissfields Festival 2011 will boast its biggest and most varied music line-up yet. 
 
With the return of the acclaimed Hidden Hedge and unveiling of the brand new Blisscotheque, which will feature the cream of local DJ talent and some very special guests courtesy of Future Disco, ravers will be uncovering treats at every turn, while younger visitors of the festival will also find a whole new world of wonders and treats in store.
 
 
-THE FESTIVAL-
 
Early Bird tickets for Blissfields sold out in less than 8 hours; however general tickets are now on sale via www.blissfields.co.uk. Tickets are priced at £65.00 for an adult weekend ticket with camping. Youth tickets (ages 5 to 13 inclusive) are priced at £42.00. Under 5’s are free, but must have an Under 5’s ticket. All tickets are subject to booking fee.
 
Blissfields Festival has been championed over the years as a leading boutique event, claiming the 2007 Best Small Festival award at the Virtual Festival Awards. It boasts a wonderfully inclusive atmosphere in a small setting, without corners cut in terms of programming. With cafés, stalls, workshops, installations, a family camping area and four stages of live music, it truly is a fully formed British festival, scaled down for an intimate audience. 
 
2011 will see the micro-festival retain its “small is beautiful” ethos while inducting a host of new ideas into the event. Entertainment will begin earlier on the Friday this year, while those first arriving can now expect music on the Thursday night as well.
 
 
-LITTLE FESTIVAL GOERS-
 
Blissfields has declared its most adventure-packed year for kids with Katy Ashworth from CBeebies, star of hit show ‘I Can Cook’ singing songs and storytelling, Family Arts And Crafts, Juggling and Circus Workshops, Puppet Shows, Hula-Hooping, Magicians and book reading with talented children’s author and illustrator Elissa Elwick.
 
Other fun activities across the weekend include face painting, lantern making, story telling, open mic and campfire jamming, It’s A Knockout, sculpture building, drumming, knitting, fire building classes, Wake Up Shake Up and green crafts.
 
 
-2011 THEME-
 
As always, Blissfields has themed this year’s event and is encouraging attendees to lose themselves in fancy dress of the most absurd festival garb…
 
To celebrate the transportation of the festival to its beautiful new “home-world”, the theme for the weekend will be a Sci-Fi-tastic ‘OUT OF THIS WORLD’.
 
Aliens, spacemen, cyberpunks, clones, body-snatchers, robots, superheroes, blobs, and mutants of all types will be welcome throughout the weekend as Blissfields celebrates its 11th year.
 
Festival Information
Website: www.blissfields.co.uk / www.facebook.com/Blissfields 
Dates: 30th June – 3rd July 
Address: The Park, Vicarage Farm, Woodmancott, Winchester, Hants, SO21 3BL 
Capacity: 2,200 tickets 
 
Ticket Info
Adult: £65.00 + Booking Fee £4.95
Youth: £42.00 + Booking Fee £4.95
Under 5: Free No Booking Fee (Please note a nominal fee of 1p is charged to register the purchase)
 
Thursday Camping: £15.00 No Booking Fee
 
Day Tickets are not currently on sale
 
Live-in Vehicle Pass: £35.00
Car Park: £10.00
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 
Thursday Camping Pass (available only in conjunction with a weekend camping ticket): To arrive before 10.00 am Friday 1st July a Thursday camping pass must be purchased for each individual over 5 yrs. This allows arrival after 4pm Thursday 30th June. For the first time this year there will be entertainment on the Thursday night! Under fives do not need a pass.
Live-in Vehicle Pass: If you are bringing a campervan or caravan a pass must be purchased in addition to individual tickets for each occupant. There is no camping in vehicles allowed in the car park
Car Park: There will be a £10 charge made on arrival for all vehicles, excluding those with valid campervan/caravan pass. Passes may also be purchased in advance.

 

Green Man Festival 2011 Ticket Information

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Once we know where you can get tickets from, we will be posting them up in the Latest News section, so keep an eye out.

In the mean time view the highlights from last years Green Man Festival below!

Green Man Festival 2010 from Green Man on Vimeo.

 

Join up to our Facebook fan page, or link up to Twitter with as so you are informed about the latest info.

SOS 4.8 Festival adds Patti Smith, The Kooks and Tiga

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SOS 4.8 festival is the first confirmed live date for The Kooks in 2011. The band, set to be releasing the third album imminently, will showcase their new material to the SOS 4.8 crowds. SOS 4.8 will also be Patti Smith’s first festival appearance in 2011.

Having already confirmed Suede, MGMT, These New Puritans (Hidden Live), White Lies, Editors, Everything Everything, !!!, Two Door Cinema Club and We have Band, this year’s SOS 4.8 festival offers one of the strongest line-ups across the European festival circuit. In addition to the music, the festival also offers a space for Contemporary Art Exhibitions, Conferences and Workshops.

Under the names ‘Art’ and ‘Voices’, this year the sections will look at Dance Culture. Contemporary artists will explore the relationship between music, sex, drugs, night life, money, beauty and youth through their work. In a conference, Jeremy Gilbert and Ewan Pearson, authors of ‘Dance, Music, Culture and the Politics of Sound’, will analyse the basic elements of Dance Culture, its derivations and current state.

More exciting bands, events and activities will be announced soon!

SOS 4.8 is an urban festival that takes place in city of Murcia, South East Spain. Previous editions sold out and have included acts such as Franz Ferdinand, Hot Chip, The Horrors, PJ Harvey, The Prodigy, Peaches and 2ManyDJs.

The festival takes the name from its commitment to sustainability. The 2010 edition was awarded with a ‘Green and Clean Award’ from ‘A Greener Festival’, an independent body that assesses the green credentials of major music events.

The 30,000 capacity two day festival offers two day tickets and accommodation packages through their website. To book visit: http://www.sos48.com

 

Bilbao BBK Live add Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs and more

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kasabian bbk liveBoth Kasabian and Kaiser Chiefs are set to release new albums this summer and Bilbao BBK Live will be one of the first places you can hear the new material live.

Taking place from the 7th – 9th July 2011 in Bilbao, north Spain, tickets are on sale now!

The festival is still running a promotion on the first 1,000 three day tickets, which are currently on sale on See, Ticketweb and Lastminute for just £75 including camping.

More acts will be announced very soon, so stay tuned to our website

Bilbao BBK Live is a three day festival that takes place in the outskirts of Bilbao. Thekaiser chiefs bilbao bbk live festival site, located on top of a hill and surrounded by mountains, offers breathtaking views over the city of Bilbao.

This fuss free festival, with an uncomplicated layout and easy access from the city and the airport, has proven to be a huge success with national and international festival goers. The two main stages and the schedule, guarantees that acts never overlap, so you get everything you have paid for!

While in the festival, take the opportunity to visit the city, just 10 minutes bus ride from the festival site. Bilbao is a modern city famous for its architecture, museums and gastronomy, and it’s just a stone’s throw away from the beach.

More info

Festival: Bilbao BBK Live (www.bilbaobbklive.com/2011)
Dates: July 7th-9th 2011
Where: Kobetamendi, 10 min bus ride from Bilbao city centre
Line –up so far: Coldplay, The Black Crowes, Amy Winehouse, Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs, 30 Seconds to Mars, !!!, Crystal Castles, The Chemical Brothers, Jack Johnson, M-Clan and Russian Red.

Ticket Price: Three Day Pass incl. camping – £75 (limited offer) available on See Tickets, Ticketweb and Lastminute

Schedule: TBC
Doors Open: TBC
Doors close: TBC

To get there: Two low cost airlines operate direct flights from London to Bilbao. Check Easyjet (from Stansted) and Vueling (from Heathrow). Iberia also operates daily direct flights from Gatwick airport.

Ryanair operates daily flights to Santander, just an hour bus ride to Bilbao.

From Bilbao airport there are regular public buses to central Bilbao. Once in central Bilbao the festival provides shuttle buses to the site.

Age Restrictions: Under 18-s will have to be accompanied by an adult. 

 

U2, Coldplay, and Beyonce to headline Glastonbury

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Entertainment website Holy Moly claims to have exclusive information that all 3 acts will be headlining Glastonbury 2011.

Holy Moly have been correct in the past about Glastonbury predictions and all 3 acts have been rumoured to play for quite some time.

With U2 having pulled out last year due to Bono’s injury, they were widely expected to play this year.  Michael Eavis said that Coldplay would be returning this year and Beyonce is the american act that Eavis has been trying to get for years.

To read the full story on Holy Moly, click here!

Wireless Festival 2011 headliners announced

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black eyed peas wireless festival 2011Since the release of their first worldwide hit ‘Where Is The Love’ in 2003 The Black Eyes Peas have become a bona fide hip hop phenomenon. The band have sold over 27 million albums and 20 million singles worldwide. Their latest single ‘The Time (Dirty Bit)’, taken from new album ‘The Beginning’, was their fifth single to hit number one here in the UK whilst ‘I Gotta Feeling’, which was out last year, became the first single to sell more than one million downloads in the UK. Renowned for their electrifying live show the band gave a stupendous half time performance at last nights Super Bowl in Dallas, Texas and they recently sold out the 60,000 tickets available for their concert at the legendary Stade de France in a record breaking 60 minutes! With other smash hits including ‘My Humps’, ‘Rock That Body’ and ‘Boom Boom Pow’ the band are set to give an explosive headline performance on Friday 1 July.

chemical brothers wireless festival 2011The Chemical Brothers have forged a career by pushing boundaries. Over the seventeen years since the release of their first single the band have sold millions of copies of their seven studio albums – five of which consecutively hit number 1 in the UK. At the end of last year they were honored with the prestigious Q magazine ‘Hero’ award, they have won multiple Grammy awards and are renowned for their vocal collaborations having worked with a dizzying array of handpicked artists, from Noel Gallagher to Beth Orton, The Flaming Lips to Midlake, Q-Tip to Kele Okereke. Their remarkable new live show, which has been heralded as their most spectacular yet, is set to dazzle the crowds on Saturday 2 July at this years Wireless with Barclaycard.

A stellar line up of artists are already confirmed to join The Black Eyed Peas on Friday 1 July. Last year saw Plan B play to a rammed tent on the second stage, since then his second album ‘The Defamation of Strickland Banks’ has become one of the biggest selling albums of 2010. It’s hit the number one spot twice and reached triple platinum sales. He was recently awarded with the ‘Best Breakthrough’ artist at the Q awards, is soon to embark on a sell-out arena tour of the UK, and is confirmed to perform at this years Brits where he is nominated for three awards. The undisputed breakout star of 2010, Tinie Tempah returns to Wireless with Barclaycard for the fourth year in a row. His platinum selling debut album The Disc-Overy topped the album charts last year and so far boasts three hit singles. Nominated for four Brit awards (the most nominations for any one artist this year), and also set to perform at the ceremony, Tinie has earned industry respect well beyond his years. Pop-grime superstar Example will be back in full force this summer, he released his highly anticipated album ‘Won’t Go Quietly’ in 2010 which spawned four Top 20 hits including the infectious ‘Kickstarts’. Friday’s line-up this is set to be a must see event!
Saturday’s headliners The Chemical Brothers will be in fine company. After releasing their Gold debut album ‘More Than A Lot’ in 2008, drum & bass maestros Chase & Status last year boasted two sold out tours, won a Q Award for Best Video and were nominated for the Critics Choice Festival Headliner at the UK Festival Awards. Their highly anticipated second album ‘No More Idols’ was released last month, featuring mind-blowing collaborations with the likes of Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal, White Lies, Cee-Lo Green and Plan B. Aphex Twin, the prolific alpha male of electronica, will send a wave of arrhythmic dance through the Hyde Park crowds when he hits the decks nearly 20 years after he released his first ever record, ‘Angalogue Bubblebath’. Hailed for his distinctly experimental approach, Aphex Twin has cemented himself as one of the most inventive and influential figures in contemporary electronic music. Rave-indie band The Whip released their debut album ‘X Marks Destination’ in 2008, the Mancunian four-piece have become an unstoppable force in the electro-indie scene with big stomping dancefloor fillers including ‘Trash’ and ‘Divebomb’. Singer, songwriter and high funkstress Janelle Monae has created a distinctive sound of melded cabaret, hip-hop, rock and soul. Her debut album ‘The ArchAndroid’ was released to widespread acclaim last year and found itself in many critics ‘best albums of 2010’ lists. A truly electrifying performer she is sure to give a thrilling debut performance at this year’s Wireless with Barclaycard. With New York rockers Battles, Canadian electro-funk twosome Chromeo, Mancunian beat shaper Justin Robertson and Hot to trot DJ duo Nero (who won a highly coveted place in the BBC sound of 2011 list) also confirmed Saturday’s line-up so far ensures it will be one non-stop party!

2010’s acclaimed line-up saw headliners P!NK, LCD Soundsystem and Jay-Z perform show stopping sets to tens of thousands in Hyde Park. Previous headliners have included such luminaries as Morrissey, The White Stripes, Kanye West, Daft Punk, New Order and Basement Jaxx. Hyde Park has been home to London’s most sensational summer concerts for over four decades, an iconic location for some of the greatest names in musical history. Acts that have performed include The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Blur, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Roger Waters, The Who, Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and The Police.

Wireless with Barclaycard is a spectacular open-air live music experience in the heart of bustling London. It offers a chance to experience the excitement and watch the best in popular music right on your doorstep; with many more acts and details still to be unveiled, Wireless with Barclaycard 2011 is certain to be the big event on the summer’s musical calendar.

Ticketing Information:
Tickets for Friday 1 July and Saturday 2 July are priced at £49.50 and £48.50 respectively, plus booking fees.

Tickets go on sale for these dates at 9am Friday 11th February at www.wirelessfestival.co.uk

Tickets are on sale now for Sunday 3rd July.

From Friday, multi-day tickets will be available. 2-day tickets will be priced at £92 plus booking fees, and 3-day tickets will be priced at £130 plus booking fees.

Barclaycard customers have the exclusive opportunity to purchase two for one tickets, on sale Wednesday 9th February at 9am via www.barclaycardunwind.com

Vodafone customers can buy tickets 48 hours before they go on general sale. Get yours from 9am, 9 February at www.vodafone.co.uk/vip

Purchase a Carbon Offset for 50p as an add on to your order to negate the environmental impacts of your travel to and from the festival, these funds will be used to invest in environmental projects in local schools. More details are available on www.wirelessfestival.co.uk
 

 

Small Nations Festival lineup announcement

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panda su small nations festivalPanda Su’s first gigs in Dundee were as a drummer in a death metal band!) Su has gone on to develop a writing technique that is as contradictory as it is charming. Simplicity is evident in the arrangements and melodies that curl up inside your head on first hearing Panda Su. Yet behind the simplicity lies a dark and sometimes menacing lyricist that is as likely to pull on the heartstrings of the world’s interlopers as she is to write a soaring pop anthem. Panda Su has been named Best Newcomer in the Jockrock Poll of the Scottish music industry, and comparisons have been drawn between Panda Su and French artist Coco Rosie as well as Florence and The Machine and Cat Power.

Lizzie Parks flew onto the scene in 2005 with her debut album ‘Watching Space’, an intimate glance into the young up and coming singers skill of songwriting. Featuring original compositions mixed with an eclectic choice of covers from Billie Holiday to Bjork, this was just a starting point from which Parks would jump in leaps and bounds on her path of musical discovery. Experimenting with more modern production techniques and creating a more up tempo soul jazz sound, Lizzy is currently in the process and writing and recording her fourth album.

Dublin’s DJ Kormac’s sound is good fun party music, dusty beats scattered with a maze of samples from various sources. including cut and paste master DJ Yoda, Radio 1’s very own queen of dance music Annie Mac, Ninja Tune’s DJ Food and the national newspaper the Guardian. His sound is good fun party music, dusty beats scattered with samples from various sources. A mixture of laid back Hip Hop beats and more upbeat sounds. DJ Kormac is also involved in an eleven piece band featuring a barbershop quartet backed by drums, double bass, trombone, clarinet, trumpet and banjo. And of course tying it all together DJ Kormac himself directing the sound through the maze of samples and beats that make this music so damn good!

One of Africa’s greatest guitarists, Mose Fanfan shot to fame in the late 1960s as 2ndmose fanfan small nations festival lead guitar to the late ‘Franco’ Luambo Makaidi of OK Jazz – a group described by Mojo Magazine as ‘perhaps the most important dance band in African history’; Mose Fanfan became instrumental in the development of the groups classic ‘rumba Congolaise’ sound. Described alluringly by the Times as a,“Melodic, spiralling electric guitars drift in urbane but mellow fashion over rippling Afro-Latin rhythms with softly caressing vocals in a concoction that is highly danceable but requires a sensuous shuffle rather than a sweat- drenched workout.”

 

More acts announced for Exit Festival 2011

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grinderman exit festival 2011Grinderman  will be electrifying the fortress with their growling formidable rock beast of a band! Formed by the suave Nick Cave and featuring the members of The Bad Seeds but ‘badder’, we expect no less than a rampage of strutting and swaggering “mixing horror and black humour with barely tamed musical malevolence” (The Guardian, September 2010).

Through the cobbled streets and into to the Dance Arena, Fedde Le Grand will put his hands up for his first ever performance at Exit Festival. DJ and producer extraordinaire, the Dutch deckmanship is set to set alight the moat with his variety of underground, credible and chart topping tracks with a few classics thrown in for good measure. Another young Dutchman will be performing on the Dance Arena this year in the form of Joris Voorn. Having sealed his place as techno glitterati many moons ago, his production is in every top djs’ record box and he will be bringing his fresh techno,

joachim garraud

 breaks and house sound to the arena. Whilst the Grammy award nominee Frenchman Joachim Garraud will be performing his Invasion show, and

 if you’ve seen clips already on youtube you will see how much fun it is. Joachim has produced for the finest DJs such as David Guetta, Deep Dish, Moby and even Kylie so you can be sure his show will be nothing short of spectacular. They will be joining already announced Tiga, James Zabiela, and Gramophonedzie. We certainly can’t wait!

EXIT 2011 plays host to a variety of 400 performances on 20 stages connected by cobbled streets, ramparts and tunnels – a walk through the mystical fortress is like a trip through a magical wonderland. Music ranges from rock, dance, indie, Latino, reggae, electronica, chill out and regional music, so there is no better festival in the world that brings you so much value and so much variety! EXIT is still the coolest, most adventurous and best value for money festival experience in Europe for the discerning festival goer. Offering more entertainment, easier and cheaper travel options, stunning weather and an atmosphere unlike any other festival, ensure it’s on your list of things to do 2011!

2011 will also see pre and post EXIT events happening in the city of Novi Sad and Belgrade, so festival go-ers can spend longer in Serbia experiencing the warmth of the Serbian people whilst having fun and seeing new sights and cities. It’s an adventure and festival in one! No mud and lots of wonderful experiences, it’s a golden ticket for summer 2011.

EXIT 2011 LINE UP SO FAR:
Arcade Fire, Portishead, Grinderman, Hadouken!, Fedde Le Grand, Tiga, James Zabiela, Joris Voorn, Joachim Garraud, Gramophonedzie.

TICKETS:
EXIT & eTickets.to continue to deliver the best value festival ticket around, with pre event ticket redemption and fast entry through their own entrance. First release tickets are limited so buy now to avoid paying more than you have to! Buy tickets from; www.etickets.to/exit

First Release – 4 day festival ticket – £89 + b/f
Second Release – 4 day festival ticket – £105 + b/f
Camping ticket – £25 + b/f

EXIT TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION:
Getting to EXIT is now easier, faster and cheaper!
EXIT Trip is the Official Travel and accommodation for EXIT Festival with the lowest price guaranteed! Offering huge discounts on direct flights, accommodation and local transfers in one package, look no further than here www.exittrip.org

 

New additions to the SOS 4.8 Festival 2011

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Editors, who will be releasing their new album ‘Unedited’ at the end of this month, will perform their new material at the festival. These New Puritans will take their show ‘Hidden Live’ to the festival’s Auditorium, an intimate indoors space for special projects; the band will be joined by a 15 piece orchestra and chorus.

Having already confirmed Suede, White Lies, Everything Everything, !!!, Two Door Cinema Club and We have Band, this year’s SOS 4.8 festival offers one of the strongest line-ups across the European festival circuit. In addition to music, the festival also offers a space for Contemporary Art Exhibitions, Conferences and Workshops.

Under the names ‘Art’ and ‘Voices’, this year the sections will look at Dance Culture. Contemporary artists will explore the relationship between music, sex, drugs, night life, money, beauty and youth through their work. In a conference, Jeremy Gilbert and Ewan Pearson, authors of ‘Dance, Music, Culture and the Politics of Sound’, will analyse the basic elements of Dance Culture, its derivations and current state.

More exciting bands, events and activities will be announced soon!

SOS 4.8 is an urban festival that takes place in city of Murcia, South East Spain. Previous editions sold out and have included acts such as Franz Ferdinand, Hot Chip, The Horrors, PJ Harvey, The Prodigy, Peaches and 2ManyDJs.

The festival takes the name from its commitment to sustainability. The 2010 edition was awarded with a ‘Green and Clean Award’ from ‘A Greener Festival’, an independent body that assesses the green credentials of major music events.

The 30,000 capacity two day festival offers two day tickets and accommodation packages through their website. To book visit: http://www.sos48.com