Thousands flocked to Finsbury Park this weekend for popular festival – Wireless. Each year the festivals line up is spectacular, Summer Festival Guide headed over to check things out. With over 40 acts on both Saturday and Sunday; including Ciara, Jessie J, David Guetta, Nicki Minaj, Avicci and Kendrick Lamar, Wireless was sure to be a festival not to be forgotten.
With the sun beating down on Finsbury Park Saturday's sold-out show, started to fill out almost immediately. As the crowd flooded through the gates of Finsbury Park, they were greeted by a high-spirited Conor Maynard who kicked started Saturday on the main stage, whilst KStewart and Ady Sulieman took to the other two stages.
Raleigh Ritchie and Tinashe later took to the main stage and both performed equally good sets. Raleigh got the crowd jumping around and seemed to genuinely enjoy it just as much as they were enjoying him. Tinashe performed a great up beat set from her latest album Aquarius. Summer Festival Guide caught up with Raleigh Ritchie back stage where he told us about his love for performing, festivals and Game of Thrones.
Indiana took to the Pepsi Max Arena where she slowed things down a bit and performed a very mellow set. Fans swayed as the singer performed tracks from her latest album – ‘No Romeo’ and she drew in the crowd however the singer sped things up a bit towards the end of her set and the crowd loved it.
Whilst waiting for Mary J Blige crowds flocked to numerous food vans to refuel. Ranging from Chinese to Mexican, Vegan to Steak Grills and Lebanese to Caribbean food the crowd were definitely spoilt for choice. Mary J Blige dived straight in to her set list starting with her hit song ‘Just Fine’. The crowd immediately jumped to their feet and started dancing. Mary J had the crowd dancing for the whole 45 minutes of her set. With a great set list and her high-spirit Mary J had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hands.
Gorgon City and Childish Gambino later took to the main stage. Whilst Stormzy took to the RE: WIRED stage. Gorgon City's up beat set had the crowd dancing with range of hits including 'Stronger', 'Rather Be' & 'Real Love'.
The mult-talented Childish Gambino ran out onto the main stage next and it wasn't long before he was shirtless and belting out 'Crawl', 'Worldstar' and more from his back cataloge of albums.
Stormzy had a huge crowd for his highly anticipated set performing his latest tracks to a very appreciative crowd who sung their hearts out word for word.
As the crowd waited for Kendrick Lamar yet again they headed for the food vans and the bars to refuel and rehydrate. Kendrick took to the stage performing many tracks both old and new including 'Backstreet Freestyle', 'Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe' and 'Swimming Pools (Drank). The crowd loved Kendrick and Kendrick loved the crowd. Avicii wowed crowds when he later took to the stage and saw what had been an amazing day off with an equally amazing set and a spectacular light and firework display.
Sunday afternoon saw Wretch 32 kick start the day off on the main stage with an impressive performance. Also kicking off the day around the park was Samm Henshaw on the Re: WIRED stage and Kiko Bun in the Pepsi Max Arena. Summer Festival Guide caught up with Samm Henshaw backstage and he was just as happy and full of energy off stage as he was on.
Charlie XCX, August Alsina and Clean Bandit were the main stage line up for the afternoon. Whilst Arrested Development, Ciara, Pusha T and Rae Sremmurd took to the Pepsi Max Arena. Leaving Damage, Jacob Plant, Tove Stryke, Jaden & Willow Smith, Elliphant and Shakka to entertain those at the RE: WIRED stage.
Charli XCX with her trademark Sucker heart prop and full band on stage rocked the crowd with her hits 'Sucker', 'Breaking Up', 'I Love It'. Full of energy and with the sun pelting down on Finsbury Park, Charli had the crowd singing with her throughout her entire set!
Ciara was off to a rocky start with her mic being switched off for the first 15 minutes of her set. However that did not stop the crowd from singing along to the popular singer's songs and enjoying the show Ciara provided. Jaden and Willow left the crowd slightly befuddled with a rather unusual performance. However the crowd soon perked up when willow performed popular hit 'Whip my Hair' and Jaden shared a new track with the Wireless crowd. The sibling duo were full of energy and provided a good performance, aiding each other throughout.
As night began to fall, crowds were left disheartened when the festival organisers shamefully admitted that Nicki Minaj was running late due to travel complications and that they had lost touch with the award winning female rapper. It was later announced that Nicki and David Guetta had mutually agreed to share the set time which crowd's responded to with boos.
When David Guetta took to the stage half an hour after the announcement crowds went wild as he started his set. The light show Guetta provided was spectacular and he managed to win back the crowd with popular tracks, smoke, confetti and fireworks. David Guetta continued for a further 40 minutes before Nicki Minaj finally made her entrance and crowds seemed to have forgiven the female rapper within an instance.
Nicki continued to work the crowd and performed popular songs including 'Truffle Butter', 'Only', 'Moment for Life' and 'Anaconda'. Adoring fans sang and danced the night away enjoying the all-round amazing show Nicki delivered. Nicki Minaj was the perfect act to round off the Wireless weekend she left the crowd on a positive high and closed the show with a tremendously great performance.
Photos from Saturday at Wireless Festival
Photos from Sunday at Wireless Festival
Chipmunk, Alexis Jordan, Jodie Connor and Dot Rotten join an already sensational line up on Friday 1 July, with Black Eyed Peas headlining and other acts so far confirmed including Plan B, Tine Tempah and David Guetta. Widely considered as one of the best UK grime acts around Chipmunk burst onto the scene in 2009 with his platinum selling debut album ‘I Am Chipmunk…’. He has amassed five top-ten hits on the UK Singles Chart, including the chart topping ‘Oopsy Daisy’, and his highly anticipated second album ‘Transition’ is out soon. One of 2011’s explosive new arrivals, Alexis Jordan, is an 18-year-old pop powerhouse currently tearing up the club & airplay charts in the UK. The former America’s Got Talent finalist, who has the backing of hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, has already scored two top ten UK singles with her insanely catchy pop hits ‘Happiness’ and ‘Good Girl’. Mancunian singer songwriter Jodie Connor and hotly tipped South London MC Dot Rotten are also set to join Friday’s fantastic line-up.
J.Cole is now confirmed to join headliners The Chemical Brothers on Saturday 2 July, a day which already boasts Chase & Status, Aphex Twin and Janelle Monae amongst others. The first ever artist signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, North Carolina born and bred J. Cole made himself notable when he dropped his recent mixtape The Warm Up, as well as a coveted guest verse on Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 with ‘A Star Is Born’. New Orleans rapper Jay Electronica will also hit the stage, a fellow Roc Nation recruit, he has gained widespread critical praise for his lyrically dense performances and soulful tunes. Michael Franti and Spearhead also join the bill, well known for their moving politically charged tunes, they were at the forefront of hip-hop’s renaissance, mixing hip-hop with a unique blend of funk, reggae, jazz, and rock. Also added to Saturday’s enviable line-up is North London’s Modestep, electronic dance act Her Majesty and the Wolves featuring former Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt, Maverick Sabre, who appeared on Professor Green’s latest single, and acclaimed DJ James Holroyd.
Having recently announced Grace Jones as support for Pulp on 3 July, Wireless with Barclaycard have announced a string of new acts bursting with talent to join the Sunday line up. The Pretty Reckless have already netted a top ten album here in the UK (for 2010’s Light Me Up), featuring Gossip Girl Taylor Momsen they are set to give an amazing performance. Utah rockers Neon Trees will blast out their hard-hitting anthems of adolescent angst with heart-on-the-sleeve passion. Hotly-tipped Nottingham singer songwriter Liam Bailey, who recently hooked up with fellow Wireless with Barclaycard performers Chase & Status on their hit single Blind Faith also joins the bill, along with Californian trio Funeral Party who will deliver their dance inducing spirit. Irish synth-pop rockers Fight Like Apes, London’s electro-pop maestros Clock Opera and Belfast based Cashier No.9 also join Sunday’s storming line-up. 
Since 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.
The 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.