Tag: music festival

Worcester Music Festival

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Kicking off on September 15th and culminating on the 17th, the Worcester Music Festival brings together hundreds (yes, hundreds) of acts from the best new and emerging artists in the country. It’s one of the UK’s fastest growing metropolitan live music events, not least because of its excellent location, and this year’s fest is likely to attract plenty of interest.

A far cry from the immense muddy fields of Leeds or Reading, the Worcester Music Festival takes place in multiple venues across it’s charming host city. That means anything from pubs and clubs to restaurants and record shops – Worcester Music Festival will even take you to a brewery. Better yet, the entire festival is free.

Without paying a penny, you’ll be able to check out music from pretty much every genre imaginable. Rock, indie, pop, and punk will be supplied in abundance, as will blues, hip hop, reggae, folk, and country. The Worcester Music Festival is nothing if not inclusive, which might explain why over 1,000 bands and artists applied for a slot at this year’s event. 250 were available, and they’ve been snagged by acts such as:

  • Exeter-based reggae dub wizards The Barefoot Bandit.
  • Hardcore outfit Constructor, hailing from South Wales.
  • Rockerbilly from Nottingham-based The Superkings.
  • Leicester-based Collosloth, for eclectic soundscapes.

And enjoying Worcester Music Festival tunes is about getting involved as much as enjoying other people’s work. There are a whole host of free music-related workshops aimed at both adults and children, including Q&As with industry experts, an annual photography competition for amateur photographers of any age or experience, and drum clinics.

Despite being a non-profit making event that demands no cash from its attendees, the Worcester Music Festival manages to raise money for charity. They’ve certainly excelled at doing so in the past, with over £44,000 drummed up across the last eight years via collections, raffles, wristbands sales, and so on. This year’s charity has not yet been announced, but we’re sure those who attend will continue supporting worthy causes. If you’re attending and want to contribute yourself, just look for one of the festival’s many fancy dress-clad charity collectors.

Keep checking the official website to find out more, or follow on Twitter @worcsmusicfest. We think you’ll be glad you did.

UK Music Festival Guide 2017: Where to Get Tickets to Reading and Leeds, Lovebox and More.

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The UK summer festival scene is hardly wanting when it comes to options. Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight 2017 may be no more than muddy memories, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty more on the music menu, and you might still have a chance to snag tickets for the most popular events if you get your skates on, stay vigilant, and enjoy just a little bit of luck. Here’s a quick roundup of the festivals to come and how you might secure yourself a ticket or two.

Reading and Leeds

The iconic double-act of Reading and Leeds is back yet again to present a searing array of alternative music from the indie, punk, and metal scenes, plus a list of top name draws that includes Bastille, Major Lazer, and Tory Lanez. Headlining acts include Muse, Eminem, and Kasabian. Both are set to run from August 26th to 28th, and you might be able to score a few tickets through either Ticketmaster or viagogo.

Lovebox

Taking place in the beating heart of the capital, this is one of the most affordable festivals in the UK. But don’t think that means missing out on top talent or great times – Lovebox 2017 is set to offer both from July 15th to 16th. You can still pick a few tickets up from Ticketmaster or viagogo if you want to see headliners like Frank Ocean, Solange, Jamie XX, and Chase & Status.

Field Day

Another increasingly popular London-based festival, Field Day will be celebrating its 11th year on June 3rd, so time to get moving if you want tickets. Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus and many more will be there. Again, Ticketmaster or viagogo are your go-to options to take in this cool Victoria Park fest.

V Festival

V-fest is where you go to find the biggest names in pop, and 2017 is not going to disappoint. With Jay- Z, Pink, George Ezra, Jess Glynne, Stormzy, and Craig David just a few of the names confirmed for this year’s event, it’s one you’ll want to consider, especially since the August 20th and 21st dates will give you time to pick up a few tickets from Ticketmaster or viagogo. More than worth a shot for one of the most iconic festivals in the United Kingdom.

 

Bestival 2016 Locations

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Running from September 8th to 11th, 2016’s Bestival promises to be one of the most engaging and entertaining yet, and the future theme is set to distinguish it even further from the average. As with every Bestival event, you’ll be able to explore eight separate locations, each with its own unique vibe and theme.

Here’s a quick overview of what’s going to be on offer.

The Ambient Forest

The lush stand of trees that makes up the Ambient Forest is home to the enchanted Amphitheatre. Finding yourself there during the day will mean taking in gig-theatre, sketch comedy, sketches, songs and dance-theatre. Head there at night for the music.

Slow Motion

Anyone looking for a tranquil retreat during their time at Bestival should set their compasses for Slow Motion. Situated serenely at the top of the hill, you’ll take in views across the rolling grass. In the words of Rob da Bank himself, “now there’s a way of refuelling your mind and body before the next Bestival adventure.”

Magic Meadow

The Magic Meadow is where you head if you want to be blown away. It plays host to the Sunday night Spectacular, and this year’s event will be a Purple Rave to pay tribute to Prince.

Bollywood Field

The Bollywood Tent has been a Bestival favourite ever since the event kicked off in 2004. Walk inside this intricately coloured tent to find the finest cocktails around and music from some of the country’s top DJs.

Stardust Field

Stardust Field is where you’ll experience the biggest names of the festival on the legendary Main Stage. Set against Robin Hill’s rolling hills, it’s the perfect venue. You’ll also find the notorious Club Dada here.

The Spaceport

The Spaceport represents the next step forward in sound and vision, and it’s centred around an immense 20-meter rocket.

Temple Island Stage

Temple Island is Bestival’s church of dance. Overseen by The Physical Network, this location features all-out partying during every night of the festivities. Last year’s Temple Island was non-stop, and we’re expecting nothing less from 2016.

Grassy Hill

Grassy Hill is home to two things that you definitely won’t want to miss out on. The first is the colossal Love-Bot, an intriguing interactive art installation that comes alive when you show it some love. The second is Bestival’s colourful Carnival Parade, which will bring you troupes inspired by both heaven and hell.

Bestival Soundclash 2016, Wiz Khalifa & Sean Paul

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Bestival’s fusion of globally-renowned headline acts with a high-energy festival scene has quickly helped to make it one of the UK’s most intensely popular events, and this year’s Bestival is going to head to whole new heights.

In fact, they’ve just announced that Wiz Khalifa and Sean Paul will headline on Sunday night to bring the festival to an awe-inspiring climax. Perhaps inspired by the Red Bull Culture Clash, Bestival will be making hip-hop meet dancehall for a head to head shakedown between these two huge names of urban music. This soundclash should be something to remember, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone whose heart hasn’t started pumping harder and faster after hearing the news.

Wiz Khalifa and Sean Paul have both taken to the idea in style. Sean Paul was ready to let us know that: “I’ve heard the grand finale on the Sunday night is the best festival spot in the UK and I’m gonna bring the fyyyaahhh.” Khalifa was no less ecstatic: “Can’t wait to be back in the UK and perform at Bestival. The fans here have such good energy, it’s going to be lit.”

In all honesty though, nobody seems quite as thrilled by the idea of the Bestival soundclash as Rob da Bank himself.

“We love a big finale at Bestival,” he said, “we also love hip-hop and dancehall and a massive soundsystem super clash between Wiz Khalifa and Sean Paul seems like a solid plan to close off another big weekend of music, of raving, partying and expanding your minds at Bestival.”

And why not?

This soundclash is more or less a UK festival first, so Bestival are about to step boldly into the great unknown. Pretty fitting really when you consider this year’s futuristic fancy dress theme. Rob has let us know that this will be “a Bestival unlike any other”, featuring “futuristic new stages … from every decade and every genre.”

The Cure, Major Lazer, and Hot Chip will also be headlining on the Isle of Wight this year, and we’ve just heard that Glass Animals and Crystal Fighters have also been added to the bill. Sunday night will see Khalifa and Sean Paul as the biggest draw, but you should also check out Purple Rave; Rob, Tayo and a number of other DJs will be performing an audio-visual tribute to Prince.

 

Festival Review // LoveBox Festival 2016

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LoveBox is close to our hearts for so many reasons, so don’t be surprise when we say that it was one of our top festival experiences for 2016.

For starters, let’s get the stellar location out of the way. Going to LoveBox doesn’t mean buying a ferry ticket or slogging into the countryside. Instead, you’ll find the biggest acts right in the middle of London’s East End. If so inclined, you could catch an opera at the Royal Albert Hall and then head to LoveBox after to dance it out with some of the best club tunes across the festival’s numerous stages.

But it’s not just LoveBox’s location in the capital that gets us smiling – it’s the festival’s incredible ability to replicate London’s world-famous clubbing scene within a wildly different environment. Stages for 2016 included the fabric stage, at which we checked out acts such as DJ Barely Legal and Goldlink, the Kopparberg Urban Forest Stage, complete with woodland bar and DJs such as Tom Trago, and the Corona Sunsets Stage, which brought the tunes of the Balearics.

Yup, it’s pretty easy to see how we fell in love with LoveBox. Kicking off on Friday night, we experienced London’s own Little Simz, as well as Katy B. To be honest, though, we really left our hearts with Goldie, Joris Voorn, Preditah, and Big Narstie – those acts really set the bar, and they set it high. We also couldn’t get enough of Kano, who will be headlining o2 Academy Brixton later this year and is perhaps our top pick to turn main-stage for next year’s event. We were still smitten on Saturday thanks to Oh Wonder, ODESZA, Jodie Abacus, Jamie Woon, and SG Lewis.

Of course, anybody who has attended LoveBox in the past is well aware that the musical performers are really only one slice of the fun. When we needed to chill, we headed over to The Voicebox to take in anything from poetry slams to beatboxing. If you need to rest your feet and have a bit of a laugh, we’d definitely recommend it for next year. If you’re more into kicking up the action than taking a breather, we heard great things about the BUMP roller disco.

When it comes right down to it, LoveBox kind of defines exactly what a city festival should be, and we had nothing but love in our hearts after departing this year’s event. Bring on 2017.