CHINA: Star Events introduced a 22m Orbit and two V-towers to the Chinese market in September, providing the Main Stage and support structures at Concrete & Grass, a two-day music festival in Shanghai. Star has supplied the event, at Shanghai Rugby Club, for the last three years from its depot in the city. Organiser Split Works moved the company to the Main Stage after its 17m Orbit roof, Stage 2, was the only performance space to withstand torrential rain in 2016. Gavin Scott, Star Events’ Special Projects Manager, used an 80-ton crane and a six strong crew to build the…
Author: Festival Insights
UK: The acclaimed techno festival Junction 2 has announced that its third edition will take place on June 9 2018. Following the sold-out second edition, Junction 2 has carved-out a niche as one of the UK’s leading electronic music events, praised for its clear sound, custom stage-designs and slick organisation. Last year 12,500 music fans descended on Boston Manor Park to enjoy acts across five unique stages. The unique site combines a multitude of different options to dance under – from Drumcode under a motorway bridge on an island to the bird watcher’s hut nestled in the thick of the…
NETHERLANDS: The emerging talent festival Eurosonic Noorderslag has released its second wave of acts, putting the spotlight on musical talent from Denmark, the focus country for the 32nd edition of the festival. The 15 newly confirmed acts include: August Rosenbaum (DK), BAEST (DK), Bitch Falcon (IE), Dermot Kennedy (IE), KillASon (FR), Lorenzo Senni (IT), Off Bloom (DK), School of X (DK), Širom (SI), Soleima (DK), Velvet Volume (DK), We like We (DK), Zagami Jericho (CZ), Zeal & Ardor (CH), and ŽEN (HR). Each year Eurosonic Noorderslag highlights a different country, showcasing the diverse musical talent across Europe. The choice for…
UK: Attitude is Everything, the UK’s leading authority on live music accessibility for deaf and disabled people, has awarded Reading Festival Gold Status on its Charter of Best Practice – recognising the event’s long-term commitment to inclusivity and access innovation. Working with Attitude is Everything since 2005, event organiser Festival Republic has consistently improved facilities for disabled audiences, reaching Silver status on the Charter in 2014 and picking up an Outstanding Attitude Award in 2016 award for its innovative BSL interpretation service developed in collaboration with deaf customers. Reading’s other access-based facilities include: A dedicated check-in for disabled customers. Enabling…
UK: HowTheLightGetsIn – the world’s largest philosophy and music festival – has announced the first wave of speakers for its next edition, taking place from May 25 – 28 2018 in Hay-on-Wye. Heading the speakers bill is philosopher, linguist and activist Noam Chomsky. Sometimes described as the ‘father of modern linguistics’, Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy and best known for his more recent political activism and writings on anarchism. He is the author of over 100 books on topics such as linguistics, war, politics and mass media. His most recent work is ‘Optimism Over Despair: On…
Nathaniel Hanna is the Managing Director of Stax Creations. After studying Visual Communication at the Birmingham School of Architecture and Design, he took his expertise into the third dimension in 2014 by founding Stax Creations. He now works closely with Stax’s Creative Director Chris on conceptualisation and creative design, and leads on technical design and build. What’s the most important part of a festival? Well there are the performers, obviously. Then there are the facilities and the ticket prices. But there’s something else too: the environment. More and more festivals are realising that the look and feel of the actual…
The European Festival Awards will return for its ninth edition on January 17 at De Oosterpoort in Groningen, The Netherlands. The ceremony will once again take place on the opening night of Eurosonic Noorderslag, and across its 15 categories will celebrate the successes of Europe’s festival industry over the past year. Entries for the Awards are now open and will run until October 27, during which time festivals can nominate themselves for consideration across a wide array of categories, including Best Major, Medium-Sized, or Small Festival; Best New Festival; Best Indoor Festival and more. New for this year is the…
UK: Skiddle has extended an invite to festival organisers for its next Skiddle Social on Wednesday October 11 at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen in London. The event will be festival focused, with an informal discussion between panel members and the audience about the highs and lows of the past year, as well as looking ahead to what’s in store for the 2018 season. Tickets to the event are free and include complimentary drinks, plus food the Hoxton Square street food team. Skiddle staff from all disciplines of the festival team will be there to chat about your events and…
UK: Sound City, the award-winning metropolitan festival of live music and arts, will take place from May 5 – 6 2018. Returning to its roots, the festival will move back to Liverpool city centre in a yet-to-be-announced venue. The next edition of the festival promises to repurpose a ‘pioneering location’, offering a much more intimate experience with the chance to discover hundreds of new artists and experience headline acts across myriad spaces. As ever, Sound City 2018 will deliver the very best of breakthrough acts and major names both from the UK and abroad, as well as a host of…
UK: Manchester Folk Festival, a new annual festival celebrating the best of English folk and acoustic roots music, has announced its full programme, set to take place from October 19 – 22 at venues across Manchester. Presenting familiar names alongside new voices, the festival will celebrate how contemporary folk straddles genres, embraces cultures and absorbs new influences. Manchester Folk Festival takes place across the city, but will be based primarily in and around HOME Cinema. In addition to staging over 16 concerts featuring over 30 artists, Manchester Folk Festival will host the English Folk Expo music showcase, attracting delegates from…