CANADA: North by Northeast (NXNE) has confirmed its latest round of music programming for the festival, which features an eclectic mix of hometown heroes, and the most anticipated new acts of 2015. Taking place June 17 – 21 in Toronto, with previously announced artists including Action Bronson, The New Pornographers, Rae Sremmurd, and Best Coast, NXNE has now confirmed performances by psych-rock quartet Warpaint, Bradford Cox’s solo project Atlas Sound, and 14-year-old mega star Willow Smith, who released her debut single, Whip My Hair, via Jay Z’s Roc Nation. Also confirmed for NXNE 2015 is the soulful and dapper Nick…
Author: Festival Insights
UK: Classical-inspired stars Clean Bandit, psychedelic Heavenly Records signings Temples and innovative duo Public Service Broadcasting are amongst the latest additions to the ever-expanding line-up for Truck Festival, taking place from July 17 – 18 in Oxford. Also heading to the Hill Farm site is a dance stage presented in collaboration with Switch and crowned by Shy FX. As the festival stretches its musical offering further and further dance music finds a home at Truck. The Truck x Switch stage is a collaborative effort boasting a headline set from Shy FX, one of drum n’ bass’ major players. Elsewhere Truck’s…
SPAIN: For the second consecutive year, the Heineken Hidden Stage will host a selection of exclusive performances from national and international artists during the three main days of Primavera Sound in the Parc del Fòrum. The six scheduled concerts will offer a unique intimate experience within the festival’s programme. Thursday’s programme will be headed by the American band Battles, champions of the most danceable math rock. Fronted by John Steiner (ex-Helmet) and Ian Williams (formerly of Don Caballero), the band has released two albums on the influential British label Warp and is currently working on a new album that will…
UK: One of Scotland’s most revered and loved songsmiths, King Creosote, has been announced as a headliner for Electric Fields. Also new to the bill is Blanck Mass, who will be headlining The Skinny magazine’s stage, joined by Leeds-based outfit Vessels, Catholic Action, Birdhead, Fat Goth, United Fruit and Outblinker. The Skinny celebrate their 10 year anniversary this year with the birthday bumps kicking off at Electric Fields. The carefully curated stage is an ode to the past 10 years, set to reveal a few surprises and a mystery guest or two down the line. “To have someone like King…
UK: Set amidst a remote forest, Wildfire is a cross between a 1950’s style adventure camp and a festival. Leaders will encourage campers to take part in a huge array of activities across the site during daytime hours. The self-professed ‘Questival’ bans electronic devices to facilitate the total immersion (or mass slaughter) of its attendees. Camp leaders and a show team will lead revellers for a weekend of immersive theatre, music and adventure. The first 20 activities revealed for the experiential extravaganza are: Foraging, Archery, Bivouac-building, Swing dancing, Silversmithing, Expeditions, Circus & burlesque, Artistry, Kayaking, Adventure sports, Raft-building, Astronomy, Science…
The story is all too common. It begins with an average festival morning; stages are prepped and the crew loads in their equipment. Trucks roll in and out backstage, while food carts, beer stations and merchandise stands begin to assemble around the field. It’s summer and thousands of excited fans arrive in droves for a weekend of fun and live music – the most enthusiastic have been camping out nearby, so as not to miss a minute of the festival… This was the scene at the 2011 Pukkelpop Festival, held just outside of Hasselt in Belgium. European summers are typically…
Simon Fursman has worked with Serious Stages for seven years. His role as Project Manager involves supporting clients including Reading & Leeds festivals, Glastonbury, the tours of Elton John and Rod Steward to Mumford and Sons, through to the spectacular Tribeca Film Festival in Doha, creating unique events through Serious’ staging and temporary infrastructure. Having worked on the 2012 London Olympics, Simon’s passion for managing a safe event site saw him embrace a health and safety culture and become one of Serious Stages’ leading advocates, implementing the training and working practices associated with the new CDM 2015. He was also…
UK: David Byrne, the Oscar, Golden Globe, Obie and Drama Desk award-winning musician known for his eclectic collaborations, and as co-founder of seminal new wave band Talking Heads, will curate the 22nd Meltdown festival at London’s Southbank Centre. Matthew Herbert, Sunn O))), Young Marble Giants and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are amongst the musical acts in the exceptional roster. Click here for the full line-up. Byrne will follow in the footsteps of previous directors that include Jarvis Cocker, Patti Smith, David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Ray Davies and Ornette Coleman. As well as being the creative force behind Talking Heads, Byrne has…
UK: Entering into its fourth year as a festival but with over seven years experience as an infamous party starter in the capital, Eastern Electrics has over the years built up lasting relationships with some of the most celebrated house and techno artists on the global circuit, a fact reflected in the calibre of talent destined to play at this year’s main event. Newly announced for the Hertfordshire festival – set to take place on August 1 – are Jamie Jones, Cassy, Joris Voorn, Enzo Siragusa, Matthias Tanzmann, Guti, Boddika, Jichael Mackson, Steve Lawler and many more. For the full…
UK: Freedom Festival – the flagship arts and culture event in Hull, the next UK City of Culture – has announced the first details of its 2015 line-up, which includes a headline performance from Public Service Broadcasting and new work from internationally-renowned, pioneering sound artist Scanner. Under the 2015 festival theme of ‘Broadcast: Voices of Freedom’, the three-day street festival will take place from September 4 – 6 and will also feature Tubular Bells For Two, a ground-breaking reworking of Mike Oldfield’s multi-layered, 20-instrument masterpiece by just two musicians, Daniel Holdsworth and Aidan Roberts. The festival’s opening night will include…