Features
UK/Euro Lineups: Rolling Loud Takes Over Europe, 50 Cent At Parklife & Many Debuts
Timothy Norris/WireImage – J. Cole performs during Rolling Loud at NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, California, Dec. 11, 2021.
The rapstar will headline Rolling Loud’s debut in Portugal this summer.
Europe’s festival promoters are announcing massive lineups across the board, showing great confidence in the upcoming summer. Here’s a roundup of last week’s biggest bills.
Rolling Loud will finally make its European debut in Portugal, on Praia de Rocha Beach, Portimao, July 6-8.
J. Cole, A$AP Rocky and Future headline a massive bill that also features Rae Sremmurd, Jack Harlow, Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert, and, from the UK, Skepta and AJ Tracey. Tickets go on sale Friday, Jan. 28.
Rolling Loud was founded as a one-day festival in 2015 by Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif, and quickly evolved into a global behemoth hosting annual festivals in Miami, Los Angeles, New York, The Bay Area and now Europe.
In 2022, it will make its mark in Europe in another major way aside from the Portugal launch. In December, Rolling Loud and Live Nation/Mojo announced a collaboration on this year’s Woo Hah! festival, July 1-3 at Beekse Bergen, Netherlands.
Promoters just announced the first 40 acts, including J. Cole, Future, Dave, Roddy Ricch, Polo G, Jack Harlow, Don Toliver, Trippie Redd, as well as Dutch talent like KA, Frenna and Kevin.
Tickets go on sale Saturday, Jan. 29. Weekend tickets start at €204, or €239 including camping.
Joseph Okpako/WireImage – Wizkid and Chris Brown at The O2, London, Nov. 28, 2021.
They will both headline this year’s Afro Nation festival in Portugal.
Rolling Loud isn’t the only festival that has laid eyes on the beautiful surroundings of Portimao. Afro Nation did too, in 2019, when it debuted. After a two-year wait, it finally returns, July 1-3, with Chris Brown as headliner. He joins Wizkid on the bill, after joining him on stage in November, during the Lagos superstar’s three-night London takeover at The O2.
Burna Boy, Megan Thee Stallion, Midas The Jagaban, Pa Salieu, ShaSimone, Naira Marley, Rema and Tems, Koffee, Patoranking, and Beenie Man have been confirmed as well. Other acts responsible for the global dance culture bursting out of South Africa include DBN Gogo, De Mthuda, Juls, Kamo Mphela, Mr Jazziq, Uncle Waffles, Vigro Deep and Young Stunna.
Afro Nation debuted in 2019. “Nobody could have predicted that the wait would be two years until we could unite once again in the glow of Afro Nation, but this year’s inspired plan of paring the Algarve’s balmy beaches with Amapiano’s soulful, percussive and pulsating grooves is set to more than make it up with a multitude of memorable and iconic moments,” a promoter statement reads.
Another Portuguese debut comes in the form of Secret Project Festival. The underground dance music brand from Los Angeles will take place on the same site as Rolling Loud Portugal, Praia da Rocha (Portimaõ Beach), June 17-19.
The world’s finest in house, techno, drum & bass and disco are set to perform at the premiere, including Adam Beyer, Alan Fitzpatrick, Charlotte de Witte, Chase & Status, DJ Tennis, Eric Prydz, Friction, Hybrid Minds & Tempza, Ida Engberg, Jamie Jones, Luciano, Maceo Plex, Marco Carola, Paul Kalkbrenner, Richie Hawtin, Shy FX, The Martinez Brothers and many more.
The pre-sale begins Friday, Jan. 28.
Portugal’s capital Lisbon will also see two festival debuts this year. First up, Sónar Lisboa, which premieres April 8-10. As is custom with Sónar, performances will take place in different emblematic venues, four in this case: Pavilhão Carlos Lopes, the Coliseu dos Recreios, the Centro de Congressos de Lisboa, and the Hub Criativo do Beato, which will host Sónar+D, the festival’s technology and business congress.
More than 70 shows are confirmed, including Arca, Bicep, Thundercat, Leon Vynehall, Polo & Pan and DJ Nigga Fox, as well as DJ sets by The Blaze, Charlotte de Witte, Nina Kraviz, Richie Hawtin, Honey Dijon, Dixon and Nídia.
Sónar was founded in Barcelona, Spain in 1994. In addition to the 29th edition of the festival in the Catalan capital (June 16-18), Sónar will host its fifth Turkish edition in Istanbul (March 18-19). Tickets for all events are on sale.
The second Lisbon debut is Lisbon Weekender, May 13-16, promoted by Pollen and sponsored by London-based photography and lifestyle brand Places+Faces. Slowthai leads a lineup that just got extended by Backroad Gee, Sam Wise, Lord Apex, AAA, Ashbeck, Damn Shaq, Denaas, Kelvin Krash P-Rallel and Sainté.
They join Lancey Foux, Pa Salieu, Unknown T, Deto Black, Native Soundsystem, and many more. Lisbon Weekender takes over various venues across the city. Promoter Pollen describes itself as “a technology company building, curating, and delivering the best experiences in locations all over the world.”
Pollen customers are able to book multi-day itineraries combining live entertainment, parties, and relaxation time.
Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage – Little Simz performing at Parklife 2021, in Heaton Park, Manchester.
50 Cent will perform a festival exclusive at Parklife 2022.
Parklife 2022 announced Tyler, The Creator, Megan Thee Stallion, Lewis Capaldi, live sets from Chase & Status and Bicep, and, as a UK festival exclusive, 50 Cent for this year’s June 11-12 edition at Heaton Park, Manchester.
The festival had moved to September last year, when England had lifted all coronavirus restrictions. The 2021 edition sold out in record time. Now back to its usual June dates, the Parklife 2022 bill also features Loyle Carner, Jamie xx, Arlo Parks, Folamour (Live), Headie One, Central Cee, Fred Again. and many more.
Also in the UK, techno festival The One In The Woods returns after a successful 2021 debut. This year’s lineup features Nastia, Luke Slater, Daria Kolosova, Frazi.er, Dax J, Fatima Hajji, Perc, DJ Hazard, and many more.
The One In The Woods is promoted by The One Promotions, by its own admission “an experienced and accomplished group of friends who promoted many events across Liverpool and Manchester.”
The festival site, Orrell Hill Woods, with easy transport links from both Liverpool and Manchester, offers an escape from the everyday hustle and bustle of life.
More electronic music will be heard in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where AVA Festival will take over the Titanic Slipways, June 3-4. Bicep, the capital’s biggest electronic music export, will enjoy the home field advantage as headliner.
The duo rose from party planners and bloggers to two-time BRIT Award nominees with a UK number 2 album, Isles. “BICEP’s productions are the soundtrack to Belfast city, and AVA are ecstatic to have them back,” a promoter statement reads.
A total of 13 home-grown acts will debut at AVA Belfast in 2022, including Biig Piig, Calibre, Gemma Dunleavy, Kessler, Enola Gay, Mark Blair, Holly Lester & ELLLL. Also confirmed are Mura Masa, Jon Hopkins DJ, Giant Swan, I Hate Models, Floorplan, VTSS, Special Request, Ross From Friends Live, and many more.
“There is something very special about bringing together many minds, energies and artists in a City like Belfast. It’s an explosion of joy, an atmosphere wrapped up in yeo’s and arms punching the air from the moment we open the doors. Our City, our people, is as much a part of the lineup, as each artist we put on the bill, and we can’t wait to bring it back all together again,” said AVA Festival founder Sarah McBriar.
ANTTI AIMO-KOIVISTO/AFP via Getty Images – Erykah Badu at Flow Festival 2019.
Promoters just added Florence + The Machine to this year’s massive lineup.
Flow Festival, which takes place in the Finnish capital Helsinki, today announced that Florence + The Machine will join its already stellar lineup at the 2022 edition, Aug. 12-14.
They join Gorillaz, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Michael Kiwanuka, Fontaines D.C., King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Bikini Kill, to Sigrid, Little Simz, Fred again.., Pa Salieu, Princess Nokia, and many more.
The bill also features local talent from Finland, such as the multi-award winning Vesala, rappers Gettomasa and F, Gasellit, ibe, Arppa, and Rosa Coste.
Suvi Kallio, CEO of Flow Festival, commented, “Flow Festival, as well as other international festivals, are expecting a terrific festival summer and Flow’s production is going full speed ahead, as it would normally. The situation has definitely changed in a year. We as the organisers, with the audiences and artists, are yearning to get back out there and we’re happy we’ve been able to put together an eclectic and international programme – typical for Flow.”
Day-tickets are on sale via ticketmaster.fi and tiketti.fi.
Florence + The Machine will also take the stage at the premiere of FKP Scorpio’s Temepelhof Sounds, June 10-12, at the formed Tempelhof airfield in Berlin, Germany. The band completes the trio of headliners, which also features Muse and The Strokes.
Alt-J, Interpol, Idles, Royal Blood, Two Door Cinema Club, Mac DeMarco, Wolf Alice, Big Thief, Fontaines D. C., The Gardener & The Tree, Hinds, Black Honey, Just Mustard, Pillow Queens und The Pale White, London Grammar, Parcels, Courtney Barnett, Sophie Hunger, Freya Ridings, Anna Calvi, Kat Frankie, Holly Humberstone, Griff, Baby Queen, and more are also confirmed.
null – Plages Électroniques means “electronic beaches”.
2022 features promoter Allover’s most ambitious lineup to date.2022 features promoter Allover’s most ambitious lineup to date.
Another massive, exclusively electronic, lineup was just announced by Plages Électroniques, which goes down Aug. 5-7 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. 60,000 people are expected over the three days, to see the likes of David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Paul Kalkbrenner, Folamour, Kungs, Bon Entendeur, Vladimir Cauchemar, Monolink, Oboy, and more.
It’s promoter Allover’s most ambitious lineup to date. Allover CEO Matthieu Corosine said, “It was important to us that this new edition made an impact. We have evolved our event since 2006 to meet the public’s expectations as closely as possible, while surprising them year after year. We wanted to let go and have fun, as much as to treat festival-goers.”
A structure backed by Panda Events and NSG Production, Allover is a subsidiary that brings together Electronic Beaches and the Crossover festival, as well as their variations. Allover develops, through a regional network combining territoriality and seasonality, brands that come in several formats 9Villa Plages, Croisieres Electroniques, Crossover Summer, Crossover live, etc.).
Les Plages Electroniques, the first edition of which took place in 2006, was developed with the city of Cannes. Initially a five-day event scattered throughout the summer, offering five styles of electronic music, the model has evolved into something resembling classic festivals.