Features
UK/Euro Lineups: Lots Of Festival Premieres
Isha Shah – Holly Humberstone at Reading Festival 2021.
UK:
Reading & Leeds Massive Bill
Reading Festival announced the second phase of this year’s lineup, Aug. 26-28, which will be shared with its twin event taking place across the same weekend in Leeds, as usual.
Both bills feature Rage Agains The Machine, Halsey, Run The Jewels, Bastille, Maneskin, Dave, PoloG, Little Simz, Artic Monkeys, Wolf Alice, Fontaines D.C., Bring Me The Horizon, Glass Animals, Enter:Shikari, and many more.
Wilow, Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes, Bad Boy Chiller Crew, D-Block Europe are among the latest names to be added by promoter Festival Republic. Reading and Leeds always offer stages to up-and-coming talent, as well. Taking the Festival Republic stage in 2022 will be beabadoobee, Abby Roberts, Brooke Combe, Role Model, The Blinders, CVC, Crawlers, and The K’s.
Performing on BBC’s Radio 1 Xtra stage will be Pa Salieu, Unknown T, Krept & Konan, A1xJ1, JPEGMAFIA, Knucks, Morrison, Danny Brown, Potter Payper, Hazey and others.
Weekend tickets for both Reading and Leeds are sold out. There are no more day-tickets left for Reading either. At press time, there were still Friday and Saturday tickets for Leeds, starting at £94 ($124).
– Scene from Stories In The Park 2021.
Stories In The Park Returns
Speaking of Reading, the city’s Palmer Park will welcome back Stories On In The Park for its third edition, June 18. This year’s lineup festures Andy C, Sub Focus, Flava D, TS7, Mason Collective, Big Miz, Friend Within, Nathan Dawe, Pat Nazemi, and Salute, with more to be announced.
They will perform across two stages in front of 5,000 festivalgoers, who’ll have a wealth of street food vendors and well-stocked bars on site to keep them fueled.
Festival director Toby Mullins still considers Stories In The Park a “brand new festival,” saying, “we have plans to take it to the highest possible level and deliver the biggest live acts and DJs in the world.”
Tickets for Stories In The Park, starting at £20 ($26), are on sale.
The Vaccines Join Live At Leeds: In The Park
As previously reported, Temple Newsam Park in Leeds will see a new one-day event premiere, Live At Leeds: In The Park, on June 4.
Joining previously announcned Bombay Bicycle Club, Nothing But Thieves, Arlo Parks, Sea Girls, Honne, are The Vaccines The Snuts, Holly Humberstone, Sports Team, Alfie Templeman, Cassia, Lauran Hibberd, Tribes, The Pigeon Detectives,Dream Wife, The Blinders and more.
Tickets are on sale, starting at £60,50 ($67). VIP offers are available.
Live At Leeds: In The Park accompanies the long-standing original, Live At Leeds: In The City, which will return to the inner city of Leeds, Oct. 15, 2022. Lineup news and more for the city event will be revealed in the coming months.
– Kate Rusby at Underneath The Stars 2021.
The fan-favorite will be back this year, as part of an all-female headline bill.
All-Female Headliners For Underneath The Stars 2021
Imelda May (Friday), Kate Rusby (Saturday) and Suzanne Vega (Sunday) will headlin the 8th Underneath the Stars festival in Barnsely, England, July 29-31.
Taking place on the idyllic grounds of Cinderhill Farm, the family friendly festival also confirmed This Is The Kit, The Big Moon, Penguin Cafe, The Brighouse & Rastrick Band, The Young’uns, Billie Marten, Davina and the Vagabonds, Tankus the Henge, Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys, Kinnaris Quintet, Hannah Williams and the Affirmations, and more.
Underneath The Stars is known for championing diversity, and accessibility. It receied the Silver Charter Award, by Attitude is Everything, a disability-led charity supporting non-profit and commercial organizations to become more accessible and inclusive for deaf and disabled people.
It also prides itself as green and sustainable festival, which is as important to festival director Emma Holling as it is to Underneath the Star’s fans. “Only one bag of rubbish was left on site following the entire 2021 event. And this year will be no different, as a core value of Underneath the Stars is our commitment to promoting environmental sustainability, said Holling.
And she continued, “We’re thrilled to be welcoming an incredible line-up of all-female headliners to this year’s Underneath the Stars festival. Matched with the return of the big top tents, a fantastic diverse musical line-up and more of our loyal fans being able to attend this year’s event, what else could you possibly need?”
Andrew Hughes – Rudimental at Wilderness 2021.
Wilderness Gets UK Exclusive From Underground
Wilderness returns to Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, Aug. 4-7. The festival bill features a UK festival exclusive from Underworld, who headline alongside Jungle, and Years & Years.
Peggy Gou, Roisin Murphy, Jordan Rakei, Gabriels, Craig Charles, Binker and Moses, Ibibio Sound Machine, Willie J Healey, Billie Marten, House Gospel Choir, Azure Ryder, Áine Deane, and more will also join the party.
Wilderness, by its own admission, is the first festival to offer a long-table feast to its guests. Acclaimed and award-winning chefs will offer something for all palates. (Performance) Art, talks, spoken word, playing fields, the family field, and wellness offerings are also part of the Wilderness experience.
Tickets are on sale. There’s a range of accommodation options to choose from, including a boutique campsite offering perks like luxury showers and loos, a pamper parlor, restaurant and bar, parking, trolley service, and a 24-hour reception.
Many different ticket options are on sale.
– Atmosphere at Farmfest in Somerset, England.
The 5,000-capacity festival turns 15 this year.
Farmfest Turns 15
Farmfest in Somerset, England, will celebrate its 15th edition, July 29-30. Elder Island, Joy Orbison, and Gentlemen’s Dub Club headline a bill of over 100 acts in the electronic, indie, folk, and world music genres.
Live acts include Do Nothing, BCUC, DJs Jamz Supernova, Channel One and DJ Fett Burger support on the electronic side. Reliable providers of conscious soul/disco and global-inflected grooves Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, Mr Bongo, Mafalda and Poly-Ritmo will be soundtracking the dancefloor. Sinkane, The Mauskovic Dance Band, Pip Blom, Sophie Hunger, Broken Bass, Penelope Isles, Too Many T’s, Agbeko and Plastic Mermaids will be taking the stage, as well, plus many more DJs on the decks.
The site offers plenty of space for kids and adults alike, aside from music, the program offers “everything from early morning workouts to lively kids workshops, riotous jumbles of jazz, brass-based bonanzas, stand-up comedy, and poetry.”
Like many of the world’s greatest festivals, Farmfest began as a get-together of friends. The 5,000 capacity event remains wholly self-funded and ad-free. Adult Weekend tickets start at £99 ($130), teen weekend tickets at £60 ($79). Children between 0-12 years enter for free.
Farmfest director Tim Manville said, “Farmfest is back this year with the same monstrous diversity of music and arts as always! After 15 years we’re so bloody proud of what it has evolved into. The last few years have taught us how fragile life can be and so we’re throwing everything we have at making Farmfest 2022 the best show ever. We would like to personally thank all those that have supported us over the years, especially in 2021, and tell you with some confidence that this year is not to be missed!”
New Fest For Bristol
A new three-day camping event dubbed Fields of Fantasy will go down July 29-31 on the outskirts of Bristol, England.
No lineup has been announced yet, but promoters promise over 100 DJs and artists performing “the very best of house and techno,” according to the announcement. Five stages will be hidden amongst the trees and open fields surrounding the Fields of Fantasy site.
The stages will be custom designed from the ground up, taking in the natural surroundings and “going above and beyond with production value.” the festival announcement states.
Aside from music, visitors can look forward to an array of extra activities, including a woodland maze, a walkabout theatre, be booze-filled brunches, star gazing experiences, art classes, wood-fired hot tubs, a floating restaurant, secret parties, and more.
Event organizer Katie Marshal said, “At Fields of Fantasy we welcome everyone to dive into dreams and live out your fantasies. Each area of the festival comes with its own unique theme to explore and become your own character within. It’s a time to reunite with friends and immerse yourselves into the Field of Fantasy. This isn’t about just one weekend, it’s about building a community that lasts well beyond the fields.
“Our foundations are based on everyone being equal and included, this has pathed our journey of creating a beautiful lineup of incredible artists and performers. We invite you all to come and explore the magic that lies within.”
Day tickets and camping packages will go on sale March 29.
Bill Allsopp/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images – A view of Belvoir Estate.
The site of Forbidden Forest 2022.
Forbidden Forest Changes Location
Forbidden Forest 2022 will take place at The Belvoir Estate in Grantham, England, July 2-3, and for the first time will offer a camping package to visitors.
The current lineup lists Chase & Status (DJ Set), Adam Beyer, AJ Tracey, Alan Fitzpatrick, Andy C, Basement Jaxx (Dj Set), Darius Syrossian, Dimension (Dj Set), Gorgon City, Craig David pres ~TS5, Hybrid Minds, Jamie Jones, Loco Dice, Marco Carola, Patrick Topping, Shy Fx, Sonny Fodera, Subfocus (Dj Set), Bad Boy Chiller Crew, Ella Eyre, Miraa May, and more.
Weekend camping (£150) and non-camping tickets (£120) are on sale. Day tickets are £50. To make sure those who stay spend the weekend in the Forbidden Forest have all the amenities they could wish for, promoter added high-grade facilities, a 24-hour market place, gourmet food stalls “and plenty more to make it a magical getaway from everyday life,” according to the announcement.
Laurence Howe – There’s something magical about dancing in a forest.
Scene from Electric Woodlands 2021.
Electric Woodlands Adds Second Day
Electric Woodlands, debuted in Hertfordshire, England, in September last year as a 11-hour drum & bass and house celebration led by Chase & Status.
This year, the festival adds a second day and offers camping in the “enchanted woods” of Bygrave Woods, Newnham, 30 minutes from London, July 1-2.
The bill features tastemaker Annie Mac, house stars Hannah Wants and Sam Divine, chart topping UK rapper Example, drum & bass pioneers Shy FX, breakout star Bklava, DJ Collective Girls Don’t Sync, reggae don David Rodigan, Flava D, Amyelle, Solardo, Paul Woolford, Wilkinson, Eliza Rose, Sub Focus & ID, among a total of more than 50 artists from across the musical spectrum.
Tickets for Electric Woodlands go on sale March 25.
– Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine.
The band will perform at the brand new Rosendal Garden PartyRosendal Garden Party in Stockholm, Sweden, this year.
Nordics:
Three New FKP Scorpio Festivals In The Nordics
The capitals of Sweden, Norway and Denmark are going to host some major international talent this summer, thanks to three new open air concert events presented by FKP Scorpio.
First up, Rosendal Garden Party, June 8-11, a short stroll from the city center of Stockholm, Sweden, headlined by The Strokes, Florence + The Machine, and The National. Officially not a festival but a concert series, the three-day bill also features Tyler, The Creator, Sharon Van Etten, Cat Power, Jungle, Arlo Parks, Clairo, The Avalanches, Wet Leg, Gayle, Japanese Breakfast, Linn Koch-Emmery, Snoh Aalegra, Albin Lee Meldau, Daniela Rathana, and more.
The Norwegian capital or Oslo will receive “an urban boutique festival” in the form of Loaded, June 9-11. Wilco, Susanne Sundfør, The National, The Dream Syndicate, Sharon Van Etten, The Dandy Warhols, Kikagaku Moyo, Connan Mockasin, Wet Leg, Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express, Tropical Fuck Storm, Luke Elliot, Snail Mail, Thomas Dybdahl, 22pistepirkko, Cassandra Jenkins, Frøkedal & Familien, Kenneth Ishak, Karen Jo Fields, and Leifson have all been confirmed for the premiere.
Loaded will have a capacity of 7,000 people, and will take place in Oslo’s Grünerløkka borough, right on the river front.
Last but not least, there’s a new festival coming to town in Denmark, at Copenhagen’s historical 17th century park Søndermarken. It is called Syd For Solen, which translates as “south of the sun,” and will take place June 10-12.
Two stages will host a lineup that includes Liam Gallagher, The National, Jungle, Foals, Sharon Van Etten, Slowthai, Self Esteem, Nilüfer Yanya, Wet Leg, First Aid Kit, Leon Bridges, Slowdive, Anna Calvi, Goat Girl, Black Honey, The Goa Express, Prisma, Velvet Volume, Cassandra Jenkins, Eee Gee, Coco O., Enfant Sauvage, Erika De Casier, and Parcels.
Tickets for all three events, starting at £73 ($96), are now on sale.
– Munich’s Olympic Park.
The site of the new Superbloom Festival.
Germany:
Superbloom Premiere
Superbloom, the brand-new event from Goodlive in Germany, has cofirmed more artist for its premiere at Munich’s Olympic Stadium and Olympic Park, Sept. 3-4.
Calvin Harris, Macklemore, Megan Thee Stallion, Rita Ora, Skepta, Years & Years and Tupoka Ogette, among others, join the already announced David Guetta, AnnenMayKantereit, Kraftklub, Glass Animals, Stromae, Anne-Marie, Zoe Wees and Kaya Yanar.
As is the case with any event festival director and Pollstar Impact International honoree Fruzsina Szép lays her hands on, Superbloom will be about more than just music. The site of Munich’s Olympic Park will offer a total of eleven experience areas.
“District4,” for instance, is dedicated to lifestyle, fashion and sports, “Your Planet” will deal with sustainability issues. Art is the focus at the ArtBloom and the LakeGallery, and the “Spectacular” section aims to amaze visitors with dance, acrobatics, circus and performances. The youngest guests, aged 0-12, will have an entire world to discover at “MiniBloom.”
Promoter Goodlive are assuming a normal festival season without major restrictions, even though Germany’s decision makers remain exceptionally vague on its reopening plans. “All regulations in force at the time of the event will be implemented,” a statement from promoters reads.
Day and two-day tickets, starting at €99 ($109), are now on sale.
Testö And Felix Jaehn Join Parookaville Lineup
Dutch EDM icon Tiestö and German star Felix Jaehn have been added to the lineup of Parookaville 2022, set to take place July 22-24 at Weeze Airport, Germany.
They join the previously announced Armin van Buuren, Fisher, Scooter, Alle Farben, Purple Disco Machine, and many more.
Germany’s festival summer is still hanging in the balance, as the country’s decision makers fail to give the live industry a workable roadmap to reopening. When Pollstar last spoke to Parookaille GmbH co-founder Bernd Dicks in December, he was still optimistic: “[2021] in particular has demonstrated that the infection numbers drop significantly during the summer. Given the ever-increasing rates of people who are vaccinated or have recovered, we and many other large festival organizers are proceeding on the basis that in all likelihood festivals next summer will be able to be held in their normal capacity,” he said back then.
Anna Mohn – Airbeat One.
The German EDM festival is known for its spectacular stage designs.
Italian Vibes At Airbeat One
Another massive German EDM festival has announced its lineup, consisting of 30 artists from the DJ Mag Top 100: Airbeat One, scheduled July 6-10 at the Neustadt-Glewe airfield in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Afrojack, Armin van Buuren, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Don Diablo, Oliver Heldens, Steve Aoki, Timmy Trumpet, DJ Snake, NERVO, Tiësto, Bassjacker, Danny Avila, Mariana BO, 3 Are Legend, Kygo, Marshmello, Vini Vici, W&W, Will Sparks, Yellow Claw have all been announced.
Airbeat One has built a reputation for spectacular stage designs, and in 2022, the airfield will be turned into an Italian festival village. The Second Stage will be dedicated to the Indian Spirit Festival going forward, opening the festival to a whole new breed of artists from the goa and psy-trance spectrum. Ace Ventura, Alpha9, Aly & Fila, Andrew Rayel, Animato, Astrix, Avalon, Ben Nicky, Berg, Blastoyz, Bliss, Bubble, Captain Hook, Claudinho Brasil, Fabio Fusco, Ghost Rider, but trance legends like Cosmic Gate, Cosmic Tone, Ferry Corsten, Markus Schulz, Morten Granau, Phaxe and Sander van Doorn are testament to that.
Currently a three-day regular ticket is available for €150 plus fees. A three-day VIP pass stands at €200.
– Music lovers gathering in the sunset at Mallorca Live Festival 2019.
The festival turns 5 this year.
Spain:
Mallorca Live Festival Celebrates 5th Anniversary
Muse, Christina Aguilera, C. Tangana, Editors, Franz Ferdinand, Justice, Peggy Gou, Jeff Mills, The Blessed Madonna And more have been confirmed for Mallorca Live, to celebrate the festival’s fifth anniversary, June 24-26
Set between the green hills of the Serra de Tramuntana on Mallorca, and some of the nicest beaches in Europe, there’s a lot to explore during the festival.
After a two year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the launch of a summer concert series, the Majorcan festival returns to its traditional three-day format.
Supergrass, Metronomy, Izal, Cut Copy, Temples, Milky Chance, Ben UFO, Kase.O, Jazz Magnetism y Rigoberta Bandini,Cut Copy, Monolink, Cobblestone Jazz, and Red Axes are also on the bill. Three-day tickets start at €124.
Full Metal Holiday Takes Over Mallorca
Full Metal Holiday, the 7-day all-inclusive metal trip from the makers of Wacken Open Air, will take place, Oct. 10-17, at the four-star hotel Iberostar Club Cala Barca on Mallorca.
The confirmed lineup includes Blind Guardian, D-A-D, Feuerschwanz, Grave Digger, Rage, Therapy?, Imminence, Any Given Day, Tankard, Brian Downey, Nightmare, Grailknights, Enforcer, Mister Misery and more.
Full Metal Holiday is more than a club holiday with hard music. It’s a one-week all-inclusive metal trip without a backstage or other barriers separating guests, crew, and artists.
As one would expect from a four-star hotel, there’s direct beach access, pools, sports facilities, and a diving school. The ticket package including flights and transfer from the airport to the hotel starts at €1,499 ($1,659) (per person when sharing a double room). International tickets, for guests from non-German speaking countries, are excluding flight and transfer and start at €1,199 ($1,327).
Full Metal Holiday project manager Carsten Thöle commented: “The wait is finally over! We are delighted to announce the next edition of Full Metal Holiday: Destination Mallorca featuring a whole bunch of exciting bands. We are proud to have put together a diverse and varied billing, with numerous highlights just waiting to be explored alongside the sunny beaches.”
– Wu-Tang Clan at Sea Star Festival 2020.
Croatia:
Iggy Azaela Headlines Sea Star Festival
Sea Star Festival in harbor town of Umag, Croatia, is promoted by the team behind EXIT in Serbia. This year’s edition takes place May 27-28, with Iggy Azalea leading a bill that also features Amelie Lens, Meduza, Topic, Umek, Dubioza Kolektiv, Farrago, Senidah, Brina Krauss, and Coratia’s own z++.
Sea Star Festival premiered in 2017. Since then, The Prodigy, Wu-Tang Clan, Fatboy Slim, Robin Schulz, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Paul Kalkbrenner, Nina Kraviz, Sven Vath, Hurts, Paul van Dyk, Ofenbach, Mahmut Orhan, and many more have performed.
The festival site, the Resort Stella Maris, has a capacity for 20,000 to 25,000 visitors. Tickets, starting at €35 ($39) are on sale. VIP tickets, offering access to fast lane, a viewing platform, as well as an opening and closing party, start at €100 ($111).
Switzerland:
Paléo Bill Complete
55 new artists have been added to the bill of Paléo Festival, set to take over the Plaine de l’Asse in Nyon, Switzerland, July 19-24.
The newcomers include -M-, La Femme, Folamour, Seun Kuti, Arma Jackson, Berywam, Sopico and around 50 others, who’ll be joining KISS, Angèle, Dropkick Murphys, Stromae, Sting and more on the Paléo bill.
Paléo was founded in 1976. As the biggest and oldest event in the region it enjoys a lot of loyalty from its customers, a lot of whom held on to their tickets since 2019. They remain valid, of course. An additional 2,000 tickets for each festival day will go on sale, March 23. There will be no six-day passes this year.