Duran Duran, Little Dragon and more added to Exit Festival

EXIT are on a roll with more acts being announced and even more still to come.  First up are pop legends Duran Duran, who will kickstart the opening night of the festival performing on the main stage with original band members John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Simon Le Bon. Showcasing songs from their most recent, critically-acclaimed album All You Need is Now, alongside iconic hits such as Girls On Film, Rio, Planet Earth, Hungry Like The Wolf, The Reflex, Notorious, Come Undone and Ordinary World. Having defined the MTV generation and taking music videos to another level with exotic locations, beautiful girls and stunning special effects, Duran Duran have sold over 80 million records, won numerous awards and continue to be at the forefront of musical innovation.  For the first time at EXIT old and new fans will come together to experience the wild boys in action.  See their unmissable show on Thursday 12th July.  Watch the video for Girl Panic! here featuring the original supermodels – Naomi Campbell, Yasmin Le Bon, Eva Herizgova and Cindy Crawford

Duran Duran

"All of us at EXIT are thrilled beyond words that Duran Duran will be playing at this year’s festival. So many memorable hits to look forward to along with new material from their recent album should stamp 2012 as another defining moment for EXIT" said EXIT General Manager Bojan Boskovic.

Over on the Fusion Stage one of Scandinavia’s best indie bands, Little Dragon will perform on Sunday 15th July providing the best tonic in the form of Swedish electro pop act Little Dragon. A four-piece band, headed by the astonishing vocals of Japanese-Swedish singer Yukimi Nagano. Little Dragon have released 3 studio albums – with the most recent Ritual Union (2011), earning rave reviews from critics and fans alike. Rolling Stone magazine describes the album “hits a sweet spot between the futuristic soul of their debut and the synth pop of 2009's Machine Dreams“. There is no disputing the combination of Nagano’s dazzling voice and collaborations with eclectic artists including Gorillaz, DJ Shadow and SBTRKT, serve to confirm the groups rising popularity and their set is not to be missed.

More underground and serving up the finest cutting edge electronica the HappyNoviSad Stage presents the R&S Records showcase, featuring LonePariah, Teengirl Fantasy Live and The Chain. The British duet, Teengirl Fantasy, have achieved numerous successes in only three years with their single from the album 7AM, named Cheaters, which was was named Single of the Year by Fact Magazine, and toured with the grand Crystal Castles.  Lone aka Matt Cutler has released four albums and 5 EPs in only five years with his most significant work Lemurian, released in 2008. The critics described the album as a sensual release with a distinctive identity. Matt Cutler is also active in a project named Kona Triangle.  Under the moniker Pariah hides the dubstep and future garage producer Arthur Cayzer, who released his single, Detroit Falls, as well as an EP,Safehouses on R&S Records. He is also famous for remixing tracks for the The xx and Erykah Badu. Alongside his colleague, James Blake, Pariah has received praises from very influential media such as Pitchfork and Resident Advisor, and is being considered one of the most important producers of Britain’s new wave of dance music, identified by many as post-dubstep. Concluding the list, we are proud to welcome another name of R&S Records’ – The Chain, aka London producers Dan Foat and Nathan Boddy.

And that's not all as the Elektrana Stage welcomes the Australian act Sneaky Sound System consisting of the guitarist and producer Black Angus, and the singer Connie Mitchell. Their most recent hits From Here To AnywhereBig, Really Want To See You Again and We Love are still renowned in Oz. During their career, the band has also collaborated with worldwide stars such as DJ Tiesto, Azari&III, KiNK and many others.

EXIT FESTIVAL UK WARM UP PARTIES
In the run up to July’s festival we are partnering up with some of the UK’s most notorious clubnights to bring a taste of the festival to the UK. From Liverpool to Brighton, Leeds to Southampton, and with Manchester and London in between, we’ll be delivering in abundance a taste of hedonistic party mayhem you will simply not want to miss. Bringing you some of the sharpest house and techno lineups from Circus, BackToBasics and London’s Regulate, keeping it bass heavy at Take The Whole Cake’s Festival in Manchester and celebrating the birthdays of Southampton’s Junk and Brighton’s Blahblablah, this mighty calendar of events is definitely set to send you into a frenzy about the imminent fun you could be having in the hot summer sun. What you see on the Exit lineup doesn’t stop there… all these UK parties will be hosting their own parties within the festival site bringing your favourite UK stomping ground to Serbian soil… Get involved!

April 21st – BackToBasics does Exit, Leeds w/ Art Department www.backtobasics.co.uk
April 28th – Circus does Exit, Liverpool w/ Magda, Butch, Yousef  www.circusclub.co.uk
April 28th – Junk does Exit, 7th Birthday, Southampton w/ Seth Troxlerwww.junkdepartment.com
May 12 th – Blah Blah Blah does Exit, 5th birthday, Brighton w/ Julio Bashmorewww.weareblablahblah.com
May 26th – Regulate does Exit, London w/ Loefah, Boddika, Dark Sky, Deadboy www.facebook.com/Regulate.LDN
June 6th – Take the Whole Cake Exit launch Party, Manchester w/Foreign Beggars live, P Money, Joker, Man Like Me, Grime Orchestra, Rude Kid www.takethewholecake.com

Secret Garden Party announces more acts

Great Stage / Where The Wild Things Are / The Crossroads
Caravan Palace
Little Dragon – Alabama Shakes – Tim Minchin
Lamb – Derrick Morgan & Dennis Alcapone
Holly Golightly – Jodie Marie – Citizens!
Marques Toliver – BIGkids – Kate Jackson
We Were Evergreen – Tom Williams and The Boat
Professor Penguin – Kirsty Almeida
Poppy & The Jezebels – Bird Radio

The Living Room
Charlene Soraia – Mamas Gun
Passenger – Leddra Chapman
Rachel Sermanni – Ethan Ash – Ryan Keen
Sam Gray – Ecki – Tom Copson – Animal Kingdom
The Willows – Dan Clews – Bo Tomas – Cozi
Leo Altareli – Jay Leighton – Lee Mitchell – Evi Vine
Fair & Square – Isobel Anderson – Jodie May
Ellie Lawson – Paul Goodwin – Annie Dressner
Will Robert – Shellac Collective DJS

The Temple Of Boom
(Home of all things BASS – curated by Eddy Temple-Morris)

Jacques Lu Conte – Utah Saints
Krafty Kuts & A Skillz with Dynamite MC
Adam F – Scroobius Pip (LIVE) – Niki  & The Dove (LIVE) – Danny Byrd & MC Risky
Mistabishi (LIVE) – Herve – Adam Freeland – Mixhell (LIVE)
Jon Carter – Get Cape Wear Cape Fly – High Rankin (LIVE)
True Tiger – Rack & Ruin – Monkey Mafia (LIVE) – TC (LIVE)
Shock One – Freq Nasty  – Wilkinson – EddyTM & Majestic

Losers (LIVE) – Ayah Marar (LIVE) – Russ Cuban – Cut La Roc
David Dunne – Akira Kiteshi – SkisM – Rednek – Caan (LIVE)
Engine Earz Experiment (LIVE) – Maribou State – C.R.S.T – Baxta
Afghan Headspin – Pathaan – Effect Mode & Illaman (LIVE)
2 Bit Thugs – Hiatus And Shura – Kry Wolf – Steve E Something
Disqo Conqrette – Swifty B – Feeling Gloomy – Rawkus Noize
MCs: Majestic, Krafty MC, Illaman, Bad Manners, MC Gaika

They will be joining…

Orbital
Edward Sharpe &
The Magnetic Zeros
KT Tunstall – Little Roy
The Jim Jones Revue – King Charles
Jenny O – The Duke Spirit – Vintage Trouble – Soko
Beth Jeans Houghton and The Hooves of Destiny
Hyde & Beast – North Mississippi Allstars Duo
Casio Kids – Pearl and The Beard – Violet – Laurel Collective
Zulu Winter – Baxter Dury – Karima Francis – Juan Zelada
Scanners – Ellen & The Escapades – Legendary Tigerman
Mad Dog Mcrea – Louise and The Pins – Dollar Bill – The Jessie Rose Trip
L.A. Salami – Ahab – Beans on Toast – Ruby & The Rib Cage
Electric Swing Circus – Steve Smyth – Jake Bugg – Grass House
Flap! – The Ladykillers – The Caezars – Brother & Bones
The Pine Hill Haints – Suburban Dirts – Warehouse Republic

The Fo:rem

The Fo:rem, the garden’s popular intellectual platform, has also announced some really exciting names in the fields of science, philosophy, technology and literature that will be enriching gardeners this summer.  This summer’s line-up of movers & shakers includes Jamie Catto, Robin Ince, Josie Long, Aleks Krotoski, Chris Hatherill, Ann Daniels and Benjamin Morris.  We are also told that we can expect mind-bending talks, spoken word performance and workshops hosted by Liars League, BERG, Super/Collider, Literary Death Match, Elephant, The Lost Lectures, Fast Future and PLEB.

The Never Ever Land Theatre and Nocturnium for Lost Children

As with everything at the party, gardeners can expect oodles of participation, interaction, simulation and sheer silliness. And the Never Ever Land Theatre Tent is of course no exception. The Troubadours of Tax Deductible Theatre Company have confirmed a delectable line-up of performance to suit every palate. Gardeners can look forward to hilarious, rock n’ roll performances from Shitfaced Shakespeare, mind-blowing bowing from the all-singing, all-dancing string quartet Bow Jangles, surrealist puppetry by Colossal Crumbs and the Goodyearian National Theatre Company will be back to bemuse and baffle audiences with their nation customs and dances.  There will be psychedelic dancing by Huru Dance, big surprises from Little Bulb Theatre, mischievous revelry from the naughty, natty Victorian Tiny Wallops and of course the in-house reprobates Tax Deductible Theatre Company will be offering delightfully shambolic comedy hours.

And when the theatre closes its doors after dark, the fun does not stop. Opening at midnight the 'Nocturnium for Lost Children' will be a haunted den of debauchery, featuring award-winning burlesque act Femme Ferale, music from King Lagoon's Flying Swordfish Dance Band and La Mort Subite …amongst many others.

A few favourite picks for Family Gardeners…

There will be plenty of fun, games and activities for young gardeners too.  Look out for Sky Blue Theatre Company’s theatrical workshops, which they will be running for children of all ages in the Never Ever Land Theatre Tent.  Join The Flying Seagulls Circus for some ‘laughter therapy’, circus skills and other crazy games at Kids Camp.  Where young gardeners can also take part in the multi-coloured glittery Candy Floss Olympics with The Secret Micronation of Candy Queens, join a drumming circle, learn capoeira, explore the music maze, screen print a t-shirt, create a headdress, write a story with Writers Ink Suitcase Stories, make a pizza or watch a puppet show with The Italian Job.  And after all that, families can relax under the stars with Ready Steady Science at a storytelling workshop. And for the really young gardeners Kids Camp will be running multi-sensory workshops too.

Soul Fire Restaurant

The garden’s sensual food sanctuary, the Soul Fire Restaurant is now taking bookings for The Secret Garden Party 2012. Returning for its fourth year, this is the perfect place to relax, connect with friends and replenish a famished soul during the party. Housed in a cosy hub of deliciously dressed yurts, Soul Fire provides a retreat where you can eat and be merry. Live music will play all day and evening guests will be treated to fabulous performances.

To view the full menu and book your dining experience, click HERE.

Theme: Standing on Ceremony

The real power of the party is not just about what you are watching or doing, but the fact that you are watching and doing it together. This year, as The Garden celebrates her 10th Birthday, we explore those ceremonies, rituals, initiations, anniversaries and carnivals that bind us together, that emphasise matter over mind, that emphasise our true gifts as humans: social existence.

Tickets available HERE

Boutique camping available HERE

Hot Chip, Magnetic Man and more announced for Lovebox 2012

Magnetic ManThe most iconic names in dubstep, hip-hop, drum & bass, house, techno and indie will team up with some of the capital’s most cherished club nights to deliver a 3 day weekender poised for the musical history books.

London’s biggest dance floor opens early on Friday with Hot Chip, Magnetic Man, Sub Focus Live, and Crystal Castles throwing down the gauntlet alongside a selection of arena hosts that include the return of East London's unstoppable, genre-defining radio station, Rinse 106.8FM¸ and all for a recession busting price of less than £30.

Little time to breathe, as Saturday rolls out an all-encompassing sonic mash up of hipper than thou rockers Friendly Fires, Brit Awards Critic’s Choice Winner Emeli Sandé, Swedish electro hipsters Little Dragon while New York City’s finest are represented in the form of Harlem’s hottest lyricist, Azealia Banks, and back by very popular demand Kelis, whilst the now traditional “Lovebox Legends” slot will be filled by the great Bobby Womack.

The main stages are set against the bone shaking soundscape of drum & bass' number one club night and record label, Hospital Records, plus house and techno institution Warm and international mad-hatters Crosstown Rebels who will be throwing a notorious Rebel Rave .

Patrick WolfOn Sunday things hot up considerably as Lovebox’s incredibly successful polysexual “Out and Out Fierce” party takes over proceedings with hi-energy disco and electro sounds dominating the site.  Holly Johnson takes to the main stage to deliver a “greatest hits” set spanning his days with Frankie Goes to Hollywood through to his solo career. Described by the NME as “the most influential dance act in the world right now” Azari & iii return to Lovebox after their sensational performance last year and there is a debut performance from BBC Sound of 2012 nominee’s Niki & The Dove as well as performances from The Rapture and Patrick Wolf on the Sunday Superstore Live stage hosted by East London’s favourite venue Dalston Superstore.

"By amazing grace I have survived to perform at Lovebox 2012…My first London stage appearance in the 21st Century… Hollylujah!" – Holly Johnson

Meanwhile the many arenas across the site will be working clubbers into a state of submission led by  DJ Hell who will be serving up a final flourish of closing party euphoria on a birthday to remember.

As the after parties across town roll on into Monday, organisers will consider their job done, knowing that Hackney will be left with a lasting legacy of love for 2012.