With only one month to go until the mighty return of Liquid Death presents Download Festival, DLXXI has unleashed its ‘Beyond The Bands’ offerings, giving Download-goers an even more exciting experience onsite with brand new food, drink, gaming and sport options. Taking place on 12-16 June 2024 at the hallowed grounds of Donington Park, Download will be headlined by Queens Of The Stone Age, Fall Out Boy and Avenged Sevenfold. You can buy the last remaining tickets here: www.downloadfestival.co.uk.
Bigger, better and bursting with exclusive goodies, the DownloadMegastore is set to impress with new product lines, limited editions and exclusive collaborations with the likes of P&Co, Mary Wyatt and more. From Lou’s Hot Sauce to patch and pin badges and exclusive plush toys, there’s something for everyone. Plus, fuel up with an exclusive 200 Degrees Coffee x Download Festival blend, complimentary with every reusable cup purchase.
For those looking to murder their thirsts, Liquid Death hydration stations will be dotted around for festival-goers to grab a cold can of Liquid Death. And if you’re super lucky, you might just catch a glimpse of their iconic branded Liquid Death Hearse somewhere too. Will their beloved mascot Murder Man make an appearance and get up to his usual antics?
Step into a realm of audio wonder with the Eulogy immersive experience housed in an intriguing shipping container. Created by Darkfield, and free for fans, this is a 30-minute journey of complete darkness, using binaural sound and sensory effects to situate each participant in the centre of intense evolving narratives.
The Outpost is set to host live fire cooking demos with Shropshire Lad & Boca Loco, fire lighting and primitive skills showcases from Axe & Paddle, chilli eating contests from League of Fire, hot dog eating contests, wellness mornings, and classic Hammer Films screenings for the ultimate fright night experience. Footy fans will also be able to watch the key opening games in EURO 24, as The Outpost will screen the Scotland (Friday) and England (Sunday) games live.
Elsewhere, the food and beverage offerings onsite promise to be better than ever, with dozens of vendors catering for all dietary requirements, including the likes of In For A Penne, Bunnyman’s Chow, Happy Maki, King of the Yorkie, The Rock and Roll Toastie Company, Spud Gun Loaded Fries, Señor Churro, Crooked K’s Macaroni, No Frickin’ Chicken and many more.
Back by popular demand is the LoNo bar, serving up a choice of non-alcoholic beers and cocktails, proving that you don’t need alcohol to have a good time. But for those who fancy an ice cold beer, The Tap House and Beer Hall are also returning for this year, as well as Rocktail Cocktail, who will be serving up tasty cocktails alongside a host of DJs playing epic tunes.
New for this year are The Gooseneck Inn, a biker bar with premium spirits, and the Ace Of Spades Tavern, which will host food and entertainment in District X. The Welders Yard, by the arena entrance, will host some fantastic food stands and specialist bars, and Nohrlund will be holding cocktail making classes and demonstrations and serving their organic cocktails across the festival.
Inside the arena, festival-goers will find a Liquid Death Skate Ramp where they can catch pro skateboard and BMX riders in action. Tattoo booths from Liquid Death Tattoo and Old Sarum will be ready to make this year’s Download a memorable one, Mantorship will be running an open circle for men to discuss their mental health, plus iconic fairground rides and more than 80 independent market traders offering everything from jewellery, camping goods to body art.
Sega and Atlus Games will be bringing a gaming experience like never before to Download, with festival-goers among the first to play Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance at the immersive gaming experience. In honour of this, Friday night’s hugely popular fancy dress theme will be based on Video Game Icons, with people invited to dress for the anime / manga / cosplay theme.
BBC Radio 1 will once more broadcast live from the festival and give fans the opportunity to enjoy their photobooth activation with some very special surprise guests!
Following on from the recent District X announcement featuring Silent Disco, Comedy and Podcasts, the DLXXI’s Beyond The Bands offerings prove that Download is much more than just its stellar band line-up, with truly something for everyone to enjoy across the 5 days. More information and tickets at www.downloadfestival.co.uk.
2024 seems be the year of the giant arena tours, with the likes of Foo Fighters, Bring Me The Horizon and Taylor Swift busting out the big guns all around the UK, you’d be forgiven for thinking a mock-rock band of humble origins wouldn’t be a huge scene this year. JB would tell us to never underestimate the power of rock, and with over fifteen thousand piling into the Birmingham Resorts World Arena tonight – a completely sellout show – it’s clearly going to be a wild one.
We take a quick gander at the merchandise offerings, but are unsettled to find t-shirts peaking at £50 (ouch) and the cheapest being £35 – half of what a standing ticket cost tonight, which is diabolically expensive when you consider two non-purchases of a tee could get you another ticket to a huge tour show. I do rate their alternative merch choices like tabi/sandal socks, bags of branded plectrums, and crocs charms – they’re much more in the realm of affordability and are something different than yet another black band tee. Here’s my heartfelt plea to bands to push smaller merch offerings that are at the £5-£20 mark, we all wanna participate but… cozzie livs innit.
VIP Nation patrons however, were also able to pick up a Jack Black curated fan gift with their priority seating tickets, comprising of a very fun Tenacious D pizza box, red apron, tea-towel and lanyard – all branded with the Spicy Meatball artwork.
Dave Hill
As the arena begins to fill, we are treated to the very weird but funny musical/comedy stylings of support act Dave Hill. Dressed in a Slipknot-esque boilersuit which is covered in whimsical floral and animal patches, he races onto the stage pretending to… well, fuck shit up, I suppose. He proceeds to play three or four chords on his axe between mumbling, kicking and moshing. I am bemused, but also amused. At one point he even grabs a pair of nunchucks and cavorts wildly about the stage.
Finally he settles down slightly, and jokes “Great to be back here in Birmingham… The Paris of the Midlands. I’ve not been back here in ten years! For legal reasons…” before taking requests, for what turns out to be the first 5 seconds of any song yelled out. Yes, it was Freebird.
What follows is a very strange rant about Poundland – “Poundland, we sell everything but dignity” and then some pick-up lines that “will only work in Birmingham”. Dave smiles slightly, betraying his persona “Are you the west midland metro making stops between Birmingham and Wolverhampton? If you are I’d like to ride you all the way free of charge”. I don’t really know what I make of it all to be honest, he’s definitely not a traditional opener, but he gets the laughs and is actually a more than decent guitartist. Oh and I will always appreciate someone who exits the stage on a BMX for no discernable reason whatsoever.
The stage lights dim to the mightiest roar from the packed arena, as the choral opening music from Tenacious D’s ‘The Pick of Destiny’ movie, sets the scene.
Strutting calmly on stage the duo, Kyle Gass and Jack Black revel in the full force thunder of the crowd. Taking their places in front of two red devil-hand mic stands they steal a quick nod to each other before launching into story-setting memoir song Kickapoo. Despite knowing the words myself, I don’t think I was really prepared for how much of tonight would feel like a Rocky Horror singalong – EVERYONE and their rockin’ mother was giving it a ruddy good go.
With his signature wry smile, Jack laughs “So Birmingham… Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin. There must be something in the water here, Rock. Rock is in the water. This might be the rock capital of the world” before sweeping his sweaty hair out of his face and catching a helpful fan’s scrunchie from the crowd, to tie it up.
Low Hangin’ Fruit and Rize of the Fenix come with a side of “Any of you seen our film ‘Pick of Destiny’? NOT AT THE CINEMA YOU DIDN’T” referencing the flop that almost scuppered the band, and requesting pyrotechnics which never materialised. “When we planned this tour, we had to rock a bit harder, be a bit spicier, we had to have pyro!” they yell as a very underwhelming single flame spurts from the stage.
Wonderboy rolls on to arguably the most anticipated song of the night, whose opening chords draw a huge cheer from the fans. A huge inflatable Satan at the back of the stage heralds the iconic
Tribute, and at one point the band are almost drowned out by everyone singing. Coming up from their bows, both adopt a slight stagger, joking “We’re getting too old for this shit.” before Jack snaps a quick high kick and a toe touch jump and shouts “Nope, still got it” to tremendous applause.
Next up is Video Games, followed by The Metal – in which a very Iron-Maiden-esque stage walker robot (that looks a bit like one of the goblin suits from Labyrinth with David Bowie) stomps his way across the stage to dance, rock, and at one point pretend to slam Jack doggy style. Then, as a treat “I need a palette cleanser… Sax-a-Boom please!” Jack shouts, and the now infamous children’s toy is ferried to the stage.
The Sax-a-Boom solo is summarily upstaged when KG brings out a ‘Max-a-Boom’, a giant version which plays funnily enough like a real sax, and the iconic Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty solo. Miffed, Jack calls for a Max-a-Boom removal, “Oh my fucking god, that’s Dana! She’s best roadie in the business right there” and a nice segue into Roadie, with the pronouns thoughtfully changed to ‘she’ throughout the song.
There’s a fun little skit of a silent argument “Hey Kyle can we talk by the drums, no mics please?” and KG pretending to quit, which lines up the lament Dude (I Totally Miss You) and the whole arena using their phone torch lights to join in. Kyle returns, there’s a joyful screened video of the pair leaping through the waves on a beach, and we get a rendition of Chris Issak’s Wicked Game before we come to another iconic D song. “KG… I think there’s something wrong with our electric guitar player… I think he’s possessed… BY SATAN”.Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown) is everything you want from Tenacious D, kinda camp, slightly ridiculous, and heaps of fun. We even get a double recorder solo from KG – which in the UK is everyone’s starter instrument at school, and every parent’s worst nightmare.
A traditional band intro/solo section is absolutely gratuitous but in keeping with their classic metal pastiche, they thank the sound crew and the lighting crew (who also get to do a lighting solo, love that) before Jack Black takes his own solo starting with the opening of Black Sabbath’s War Pigs. 10/10 very topical and locational, absolutely every voice in this place is joining in.
After a brief encore, Good Times Bad Times (a Led Zeppelin cover) is chased up by the excellent Master Exploder. “We don’t often perform this one because it’s too hard to perform live. This is The Spicy Meatball Tour though… are you ready KG?”… “Hahahaha I’m not ready, it’s too hard!” they joke. There’s a moment where Jack finally produces the Pick of Destiny and holds it aloft “God that would have been a good time for pyro. I even cued it up! BIFFY PYRO TO THE STAGE NOW”. It is a very kitschy skit with a bumbling pyro guy and a big red button, but it’s part of the charm and comedy. The Spicy Meatball Song (to the tune of Indiana Jones) is very funny, but we close with Fuck Her Gently and the entire crowd singing along again. Finally, we get the big stage fireworks and flame cannons, and the band triumphantly leave the stage with their arms in the air. Biffy Pyro is left alone, grinning smugly.
It’s hard to categorise Tenacious D, because ultimately they are a comedy show – and all the skits drive the narrative of the night, but I think it’s really important to note that underneath all of that, they’re just damn good songwriters and musicians. Tonight was a blast, a well deserved sell-out tour.
American Express presents BST Hyde Park welcomes global superstar Shania Twain on Sunday 7 July for her BST Hyde Park debut. With summer just around the corner, we’re delighted to announce that Anne-Marie, Elle King and Natalie Imbruglia will be joining the queen of country pop. They join previously announced special guests The Corrs, with more names to be added to the all-female bill. Let’s Go Girls! Tickets for this unforgettable show are now available at www.bst-hydepark.com and general admission tickets are running low.
The UK’s own Anne-Marie’s rise to stardom has been nothing short of meteoric. A former 3x world karate champion and West End child star turned multi-platinum-selling artist, Anne-Marie has gone on to become one of the world’s most-loved and successful pop stars of our time. She’s known for her chart-topping hits ‘Friends,’ ‘Alarm,’ ‘Ciao Adios’, and ‘2002,’ and has collaborated with everyone from Aitch to David Guetta. Last year, she stunned fans worldwide when she and Shania Twain released the pop banger of the summer ‘Unhealthy’, taken from her album of the same name, which shot into the UK charts at No.2.
Multi-Platinum artist Elle King first gained widespread recognition with her debut album Love Stuff, which featured the hit single ‘Ex’s & Oh’s.’ She released her critically-acclaimed second album Shake The Spirit in 2018 featuring the lead single and King’s fourth radio No. 1 hit ‘Shame’. King’s incredibly powerful voice and signature style, with elements of rock, blues, country, and pop, means she’s impossible to miss and we are so excited to welcome her to BST Hyde Park.
Another artist with pure star power joins this bill. Natalie Imbruglia, known for her smash hit ‘Torn’, first rose to fame in 1997 with her debut album Left of the Middle. She continued to find success with albums like White Lilies Island and Counting Down the Days. Alongside her incredible music career, she ventured into acting and TV, including a stint as a judge on The X Factor. After a hiatus, she returned to music in 2015 with ‘Male’, a collection of covers, followed by her original album Firebird in 2021. With these three joining Shania’s all female bill alongside The Corrs, BST Hyde Park is in for a very special day of music.
Speaking of her Hyde Park show, Shania Twain says: “I’ve seen so many of my own musical heroes headlining at Hyde Park and have wonderful summer memories there. It is a real privilege to headline my own show this year. It’s going to be a s**t-kicking party!”
Shania Twain, a household name for over three decades and “the Queen of Country Pop,” has left an indelible mark on the face of modern music. With a career spanning from her debut in the early ’90s to her continued success today, Twain is a multi-platinum, Grammy-winning artist and one of the most celebrated performers of our time.
Boasting over 100 million album sales worldwide, Twain is one of the best-selling music artists of all time and the best-selling female artist in country music history. She’s known for undeniably brilliant hits like ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman!’, ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’, and ‘You’re Still the One’. With Twain’s unmistakable voice and irresistible sing-along hits, it’s going to be an electrifying night at BST Hyde Park.
Twain’s influence extends beyond music, with her memoir, From This Moment On, and her residency in Las Vegas, proving her impact on the entertainment world as a whole. As a global icon, Shania Twain’s performance at BST Hyde Park will be a highlight of the summer.
Special guests The Corrs will head to BST Hyde Park on Sunday 7 July. The Corrs are Ireland’s first family of music, a multi-million selling sibling quartet who have conquered the world with a seamless blend of sleek pop rock, lush harmonies and Celtic folk trimmings. Comprising Andrea (lead vocals, piano, tin whistle), Sharon (violin, piano, vocals), Caroline (drums, piano, vocals) and Jim (guitar, keyboards, vocals), The Corrs have sold over 40 million albums since their debut Forgiven Not Forgotten in 1995, spawning a dozen classic hit singles.
The lineup for American Express presents BST Hyde Park 2024 is set to be truly spectacular, with headliners SZA (29 June), Kings of Leon (30 June), Morgan Wallen (4 July), Andrea Bocelli (5 July), Robbie Williams (6 July), Shania Twain (7 July), Stevie Nicks (12 July), Kylie (13 July) and Stray Kids (14 July), with the full line up for each day to be announced, plus All Things Orchestral on 28 June. This announcement follows the tremendous success of BST Hyde Park 2023, featuring legendary acts such as P!NK, Guns N’ Roses, Take That, BLACKPINK, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Billy Joel, and Lana Del Rey.
SEGA BRINGS GAMING TO THE LEGENDARY ROCK FESTIVAL DOWNLOAD WITH SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI V: VENGEANCE
FESTIVAL GOERS WILL BE AMONG THE FIRST TO PLAY SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI V: VENGEANCE.
A GAMING EXPERIENCE LIKE NEVER BEFORE AT THE SPIRITUAL HOME OF ROCK IN DONINGTON PARK 14-16 JUNE
LONDON – 8th May, 2024: SEGA® Europe Ltd and ATLUS have announced a new, exciting collaboration with Liquid Death Presents Download Festival. The definitive game Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance will be making its music festival debut at the iconic rock and metal Mecca, Download Festival.
For the first time ever, festival goers will be able to game like never before at the post-apocalyptic, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance themed SEGA and ATLUS immersive experience. Featuring eight gaming stations, audiences will be able fight demons ahead of seeing their favourite bands.
Liquid Death Presents Download Festival attendees will be among the first to play Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance on its launch weekend from 14-16 June 2024 at the hallowed grounds of Donington Park. The annual legendary rock festival which hosts thousands of fans will be headlined by legendary rock artists Queens Of The Stone Age, Fall Out Boy and Avenged Sevenfold.
Andy Copping, Executive President of UK Touring Live Nation “We are so excited to see SEGA bring Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance to Download Festival, creating a unique experience for our festival goers. Music and games have a long history of working together and their fan bases are frequently overlapping, so it feels like a natural fit. We can’t wait to see you at the gameplay stations!”
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance brings players the story of Shin Megami Tensei V in its entirety, plus a whole new story path, the Canon of Vengeance. The game features stunning next-gen visuals, new areas, demons and music to support an improved battle system, providing a richer gameplay experience.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance arrives on June 14, 2024. The game is available for pre-order for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows and Steam. For more information on Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, visit atlus.com/smt5v.
Regarding the new collaboration, EMP tell us, “We are absolutely thrilled to announce our partnership with BLOODSTOCK 2024! As proud sponsors of the 4th stage, EMP is ready to rock alongside the best in metal. Stay tuned for exciting giveaways and exclusive content in the lead-up to the festival. As Europe’s #1 for music, films & TV, gaming merchandise & alt fashion, EMP is honoured to be part of the UK’s biggest independent Metal Festival and can’t wait to join forces with BLOODSTOCK to make history on the EMP STAGE!”
To celebrate, our friends at EMP want you to get BLOODSTOCK ready with a special discount at their online store. Grab your festival attire and any festival essentials you need at EMP here and get 20% off (minimum order £30)! Just use the code BOA20 at checkout.
[T&Cs: MOV £30 . Valid until 07.06.2024. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional codes. Only redeemable once per customer on emp.co.uk. After entering the code, the discount will be automatically deducted from your shopping basket. Books, media, tickets, Rammstein, Die Ärzte, Die Toten Hosen, Feine Sahne Fischfilet, Broilers, New Balance, Böhse Onkelz, Funko Pop!, vouchers & items that include a donation in the price are excluded from the promotion.
If you’re looking for sold out tickets like VIP or campervan passes, BLOODSTOCK has a new exclusive secondary ticketing partner, Tixel, where you can maybe still find what you’re looking for. Simply set an alert for notification if your tickets of choice become available, or pre-authorise your card in advance,so no need for constant checking back. Tixel also allows you to safely re-sell tickets to a new home if plans have changed.
You can sell ALL ticket types, including instalment plan purchases, plus any tickets sold via Ticketmaster or other third party ticket outlets. The new deal helps BLOODSTOCK streamline all resale tickets into one place to guarantee the safety of the sale, avoiding social media scam bots and rip-off pricing. It’s a very simple process for the customer and most importantly, it’s a trusted platform. Click through to https://tixel.com/uk/bloodstock-tickets for more information on how it works.
Also, if you’ve not yet checked out BLOODSTOCK’s new podcast, hosted by the inimitable Beez, head over to Spotify or Apple Podcasts and check out the episodes so far, including guests such as Clutch, Sylosis, Green Lung and more! You can also now find some of these episodes on the official BLOODSTOCK YouTube channel.
Standard weekend tickets for BLOODSTOCK, priced at £185 (+ booking fee) are available now in the 2024 ticket store. You can also snap up limited day tickets, child tickets (mini moshers under 4 yrs can come for free!), and if you want all the BLOODSTOCK you can get, add-on early arrival for an extra day of camping on Wednesday too. Early Bird, VIP, and campervan tickets are sold out.
BLOODSTOCK’s 2024 Ronnie James Dio main stage headliners are AMON AMARTH, OPETH, and ARCHITECTS. Across the weekend you can also expect to see CLUTCH, HATEBREED, CARCASS, ENSLAVED, MALEVOLENCE, SATYRICON, ROTTING CHRIST, SYLOSIS, WHITECHAPEL, DEICIDE, GRAND MAGUS, DESERT STORM, THE VINTAGE CARAVAN, SOEN, GREEN LUNG, COMBICHRIST, XENTRIX, EXIST IMMORTAL, ETERNAL CHAMPION, GROVE STREET, MIMI BARKS, CRYPTA, FORBIDDEN, NERVOSA, BEAST IN BLACK, KORPIKLAANI, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, FLOGGING MOLLY, SEPTIC FLESH, IGORRR, RUIJIN, GROVE STREET, UNPEOPLE, NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, HELLRIPPER, INFECTED RAIN, CULTURA TRES, SADUS, LUDOVICO TECHNIQUE, BURNER, RED RUM, EVERGREY, RAISED BY OWLS, TAILGUNNER, SOUTH OF SALEM, and ANKOR amongst otherswith even more still to be announced.
Get full festival information over at bloodstock.uk.com. BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 8th-11th August 2024.
Finland’s unmissable and supersized Weekend Festival is back on August 2 and 3, 2024 and now the full line-up has been revealed.
Now playing at the legendary Espoo Vermo Arena will be global dance stars Nicky Romero and R3HAB on top of the likes of Timmy Trumpet, Ann Clue, Boris Brejcha, Da Tweekaz, Darude, Deniz Bul, Kanine, Moritz Hofbauer, Showtek, Sub Zero Project, Tungevaag, Vibe Chemistry, Will Spark, Alan Walker, Tiësto, Wade, Miane, Coone, and Dion Visse. Get your tickets now at www.wknd.fi
This year the theme is ‘Disco Nation’ and there will be three impressive stages to choose from; WKND Stage for mainstream sounds, the Future Stage for hardstyle and drum & bass, and the recently announced CNNCT x Taco Bell Stag with key tastemakers such as Space 92, Juliet Fox, Wade, Miss Monique, Miane, Jay De Lys, Rebūke and many more all playing. As well as that there will be plenty of food areas, an indoor VIP space and VIP Tribune.
Weekend Festival is the largest-scale electronic music event ever witnessed in Finland. It hosts 20,000 people at the famous Espoo Vermo Arena horse racing track venue with top level production, world class sound systems, immersive lights and plenty of nearby accommodation options nearby all making it the most electrifying musical escape in the whole of Northern Europe.
Now, completing the line up for 2024 are two epic headliners in Nicky Romero and R3HAB. Both artists have very much helped to set the global dance music agenda over recent years. They play only the biggest stages in the world and serve up suitably maximal sounds. They have both dropped plenty of hits and topped global charts we all as racking up millions of global streams so are suitably huge line-ups for another weekend of magic at Weekend Festival
Weekend Festival is like nothing else in Finland and is an experience not to be missed.
Scuttling into the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, we arrive into a deep softly illuminated world of chirping crickets and the trills of minibeasts, and take our seats facing… the giant egg. The circus has finally come back to town, in the form of Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Ovo’.
Before the show starts I got the lowdown on some of the incredible things that have to go on behind the scenes to make it work. The mammoth effort involved in the costume department cannot go un-written – their touring vehicles house six washing machines and three dryers, to cope with the sixty loads of washing that were required for tonight’s performances, and they have an entire in-house tailoring team on hand for quick fixes as well.
The cast and crew comprise of a whopping 100 people of 25 different nationalities, 52 artists, and 23 huge semi-trucks to cart everything around in. The stage is fantastic, and the herculean effort it must take to organise and do this type of show is absolutely phenomenal.
The show opens with our host/ringmaster the Scarab Beetle ‘Master Flipo’, dressed in a very comic book Joker-esque ensemble, and his friend The Ladybird witnessing the arrival of ‘The Foreigner’ (who I can’t help but see more as a Covid-19 spike protein than a bluebottle fly – but that’s the trauma speaking) who is carrying a giant egg on his back. Immediately all of the characters are endearing and interesting, but the star is definitely Coccinella (Ladybird) – portrayed by the wonderful Neiva Nascimento. Clad in a cute latex outfit she totters around the stage chirruping and making complete sense, with almost no actual dialogue at all. In fact that is the part I find most charming about all of this, we get a complete theatrical story conveyed almost exclusively visually. It’s powerful stuff.
The skit where the insects steal the egg and The Foreigner sadly calls out “Ovoooo” are very funny, but when the Red Ants take to the stage on the vertical parallel bars I am immediately overcome with wonder, exactly as I was, seeing circus skills for the first time as a child. Spinning and jumping between the poles, or sliding down them at death defying speeds and then freezing into impossible human-flag shapes is what circus is all about – the suspension of your innate belief in how gravity works.
Next up, the Gracious Dragonfly gives an absolutely beautiful hand-balancing performance atop a vibrant green spiral that is reminiscent of plant-stamens, or coiled corkscrew rushes on the surface of a lake. The clever costuming of iridescent wings spanning the length of the artist’s legs, allows for some stunning shapes as he deftly moves from one delicate position to another.
During stage setting and the continuing escapades of The Foreigner, Coccinelle, and Master Flipo – the back wall of the stage, covered in wall climbing rocks, is subtly used as an outlook for sly Spiders. The three of them take turns to scale and pose themselves as portraits across the background before The Black Spider takes to the stage for an aerial hoop performance, one of the most breathtaking parts of the show.
The sleek red and black suit, coupled with the stark ghostly face-paint of The Black Spider invites you to view him as something otherworldly, and he certainly lives up to the idea as he soars across the smoke-covered stage on his hoop-web. Unbelievable feats of strength and flexibility are bolstered by his powerfully emotive dance elements, all undeniably spider-like in feeling.
The high-flying Beetles navigating the three Korean-frame stations set high in the rafters, bring the first half of the show to an end with a sizzle. There’s nothing like looking around a crowd while aerial performers are on, and seeing every mouth agape, young and old alike. The frames are stacked with muscular Beetles banging chalk between their hands, before swinging the lithe flying Beetles through the air to one another. The tricks are incredible, tucks and spins – even one that flew a complete circle around the centre post, look inches away from death, but this is a party of replete professionals and the set is perfect. Touching down onto the trampoline net to finish, they garner the biggest cheer of the night so far.
After the Intermission, we see White Spider drop down to centre stage to show us some of her stunning contortion techniques, bending gracefully into inconceivable positions. The Red and Black spiders join her for some partner balancing, and then she takes to a very unique piece of equipment which allows her to spin and contort whilst balanced on… well… her mouth. There is a small part of me that was initially revulsed, but I think that’s because I know the damage I would inflict upon myself were I ever to drunkenly try this. The sheer strength of mouth and neck muscles it must require is frankly mindblowing.
Following this, we are treated to another classic circus skill – Firefly, with his diablo. Now, I expect that most of you reading this, and the majority of the people in the audience, have probably had a go with a diablo once in your life. Maybe at a kids party, a summer event, or a school fair. So you know how bloody hard work it is to even keep one of those things balanced never mind actually spinning. Firefly wowed us with one, then two, then three, then four diablos bouncing off the same string. While he turned. While he shot them up in between the lighting rigs high above the stage. I think he may have been a lot of people’s unexpected favourite of the night, and that diablo sales on Amazon probably rose immediately following the show.
As in a proper circus environment, a little audience participation to fill a gap can be fun, and the two people brought on stage to play unwitting romantic interests for The Foreigner and Coccinelle, were very good sports about it. However, what came next was a true highlight of the night – a crackle textured bug, attached via her hair to a ceiling rope and pulled skyward like a marionette. This whole scene was gorgeous, from the music and the lighting, to her elegant and nimble body positions as she swept and spun across the stage.
The final big act of the night was down to the bright green Crickets, displaying wall-climbing and trampoline skills across the backdrop of the stage. Two giant concealed trampolines provided the power for the artists to run up the wall and land on top, before pelting themselves back down for tucks and tricks, even jumping over one another in a waterfall presentation, but also taking the time to perform and show their cheeky side (literally, they shook their bums at the audience at one point). The air-track between the two trampolines also provided a runway of layouts, twists and double back tucks that came in waves towards the audience, a plethora of skills shown in quick succession.
Sadly the time is over far too soon, but a happy ending with The Foreigner winning the hand of the Ladybird (and kissing quite a lot) and the return of his ‘Ovo’, to the stunning vocals of Bossa N’Ovo – The Cockroach. As she sang, the cast emerged to rapturous applause and made their farewells after an incredible night. As the stage darkened one last time, Ladybird is left alone to witness, the cracking of the Ovo…
Ending on a comedic cliffhanger really seals the tone of this brilliant show. It was funny and beautiful in equal measure, turning adults into awe-struck children seems to be the modus operandi of Cirque, and we loved every second of it.
Towards the end of summer we’ll be returning to east Germany for Highfield Festival, situated by a bathing lake near the city of Leipzig. The festival is taking place 16th – 18th August and if the weather from previous years is anything to go by it’ll be a perfect summer weekend with two large stages, a smaller beach stage along side lake swimming, beach volleyball and a Ferris-Wheel. The indie/rock festival has a more German leaning line up, but there’s still a great variety billed for this year. International headliners Macklemore and Rise Against are joined by German acts Peter Fox, Cro, Marsimoto and Provinz.Other international acts include The Kooks, Flogging Molly and Mando Diao. Donots are back on the line-up, which are always great fun, definitely one of the most committed live bands in Germany.
Weekend tickets for both regular and green camping are currently available for €199.99 (roughly £170), though price categories may rise as the event gets closer. For details and tickets: https://highfield.de/en/
As some of Germany’s biggest festivals, Southside and its sister festival Hurricane are due to take place 20th-23rd June this year. Attracting 60,000 visitors each year, Southside is the smaller of the two. The festival is held on a former airstrip in southern Germany (hence the name) and is playing host to some of the biggest international and German indie, alternative and electro acts. This year the lineup includes a festival exclusive from Ed Sheeran and the Avril Lavigne’s only shows in Germany this year. Friday headliners Bring me the Horizon are currently touring Australia and the US, the tours namesake album POST HUMAN: NeX GEn has been delayed with no current release date, but fingers crossed we’ll have some new releases by summer. German headliners include K.I.Z and Deichkind with the bill hosting festival regulars like Feine Sahne Fischfilet.
UK indie is represented by The Kooks, Bombay Bicycle Club and Editors, all of whom are currently on the road. Pop-punk from across the atlantic is brought to us by The Offspring, Sum 41 and Simple Plan. Other acts include The National, The Gaslight Anthem and The Hives.
Weekend tickets are still available for €299.99 (roughly £255) with day passes likely to be announced soon.
American Express presents BST Hyde Park are excited to welcome international superstar Andrea Bocelli, headlining London’s best festival on Friday 5 July. Today we can announce very special guests: compere Mylene Klass, performances from opera stars Nadine Sierra, Isabel Leonard and Luca Micheletti, and choir Crouch End Festival Chorus. The first classical artist to headline in BST Hyde Park’s history, and a 2024 UK exclusive, Bocelli will be joined by The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, conducted by Michele Spotti. Tickets on sale now, visitwww.bst-hydepark.com.
Recognised as the UK’s most in-demand orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (RPCO) will join Andrea Bocelli, conducted by Michele Spotti. The RPCO is a dynamic and versatile ensemble that performs a wide range of styles and genres of music in shows across the UK and around the world.
The Orchestra’s repertoire includes film music, video game scores, music from the musicals, and symphonic arrangements of classic rock and pop songs, as well as new commissions and the traditional core classical repertoire, reaching an audience of over 170,000 live listeners per year. The Orchestra’s creative partnerships with artists, promoters and producers have resulted in ambitious performances in venues from vast arenas and main concert venues around the UK to smaller and more intimate settings. The RPCO aims to reach as wide and diverse an audience as possible and is unafraid to explore new orchestral experiences.
Prominent classical musician and television personality, Mylene Klass will return to the BST Hyde Park stage to compere a programme of operatic indulgence.
American soprano Nadine Sierra has established a reputation as one of today’s finest young artists, in demand at the world’s most prestigious opera houses. She is regularly acclaimed by both critics and audiences for her vocal agility, purity of tone, impeccable technique and hugely engaging stage presence. Sierra stands as a beacon of excellence in the world of opera, having appeared on many significant stages, and as she continues to ascend to new heights in her career, she can now add the Great Oak Stage at BST Hyde Park to that list.
Isabel Leonard, the x3 Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano hailed for her exquisite voice and profound artistry, takes centre stage once again to dazzle audiences with her unparalleled talent. With a repertoire spanning from classic operatic masterpieces to contemporary works, Leonard’s versatility and depth of expression have earned her acclaim on stages worldwide. Known for her rich, velvety tone and magnetic stage presence, she effortlessly embodies each character she portrays, captivating audiences with her emotional depth and consummate skill.
Praised as one of the most original, eclectic and visionary theatrical minds of his generation, Luca Micheletti is also an acclaimed baritone, celebrated for his powerful voice and stirring interpretations. After having studied music in his childhood, his encounter with Maestro Mario Malagnini marked the beginning of his career as professional opera singer. With a repertoire that spans the grandest operatic stages of the world, Micheletti’s vocal prowess and emotive performances have garnered widespread acclaim. From his commanding stage presence to his exquisite vocal control, he effortlessly transports audiences into the heart of every aria he sings, infusing each note with passion and intensity.
Crouch End Festival Chorus is one of Britain’s leading symphonic choirs with a reputation nationally and internationally for its eclectic repertoire, innovation and versatility in both the concert hall and recording studio. Based in north London, the choir was founded in 1984 by David Temple and John Gregson. With around 150 singers on their books, they are known for a wide range of vocal skills – performing and recording specially commissioned pieces as well as the traditional classical works from the 16th to 21st centuries.
“Hyde Park is the perfect place for coming together to celebrate my 30th anniversary and reimagine it as a springboard propelling us into the future, imbued with positivity and the power of good. Celebrating it here is sure to be unforgettable, in the vast green lung from which London has been drawing breath for hundreds of years, in this park that is the embodiment of a glorious chapter in the history of a nation, of a continent, of a civilization…and also of so much wonderful music that has rung out here, nourishing it in its wake.” – Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli is the most successful classical artist of all time – he’s performed for Popes, Presidents, Prime Ministers and royalty, sang in many of the greatest concert halls and opera houses, and sold 90 million records. There is no other classical star that comes close – he has a Golden Globe, 7 Classical BRITs and 7 World Music Awards under his belt, plus a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has performed across the world’s most famous venues and for globally significant events, including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at Buckingham Palace in 2022 and at the ceremonies of the Olympic Games.
This special UK exclusive show at BST Hyde Park comes at a milestone year for Bocelli, who celebrates 30 years of his career in 2024. Drawing millions in with his popular crossover appeal, Bocelli has collaborated with iconic opera singers such as Pavarotti as well as a host of A-list pop stars including Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, Céline Dion, Tony Bennett, Dua Lipa, and many more. As former BST Hyde Park headliner Céline Dion puts it, “If God had a singing voice, he would sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli.”
One of the world’s most beloved performers, coming to the very special stage at BST Hyde Park for one night only. This will be an extraordinary one-off show and we look forward to seeing you there!
Tickets purchased for the Amex VIP Summer Garden, VIP HydeAway and Gold Circle areas will include reserved seating. General Admission, Primary Entry and VIP Terrace will all be unreserved standing.
The lineup for American Express presents BST Hyde Park 2024 is set to be truly spectacular, with headliners SZA (29 June), Kings of Leon (30 June), Morgan Wallen (4 July), Andrea Bocelli (5 July), Robbie Williams (6 July), Shania Twain (7 July), Stevie Nicks (12 July), Kylie (13 July) and Stray Kids (14 July), with the full line up for each day to be announced, plus All Things Orchestral on 28 June.
