Festival lineups: Electric Castle, Sziget, Flow
Romania’s Electric Castle has unveiled Justin Timberlake, Queens of the Stone Age, Justice and Bicep present Chroma AV among its first wave of artists as 2025’s European festival bills continue to take shape.
The Transylvanian festival has also announced Shaggy, Refused, Leprous, The Amazons, The Sisters of Mercy, Netsky b2b NGHTMRE, Hot Since 82, Sofi Tukker, Soft Launch, ÂME, Joey Valence & Brae, Nilüfer Yanya, Kings of the Rollers, Urbandawn, Dub Pistols, Unglued, Sparrow & Barbossa and Romare. The event is set for the grounds of Banffy Castle between 16-20 July.
In Hungary, Budapest’s Sziget (6-11 August) will be headlined by Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Anyma, with other acts including Kneecap, Papa Roach, The Blessed Madonna, Justice, Adriatique, Blossoms, RY X, Brutalismus 3000, Nelly Furtado, Young Marco and Sama’ Abdulhadi.
Bilbao BBK Live brings headliners Kylie Minogue, Pulp, Michael Kiwanuka, Bad Gyal and Raye to Kobetamendi from 10-12 July. Also on the bill are Alice Phoebe Lou, Amyl And The Sniffers, Bicep presents Chroma AV, The Blessed Madonna presents We Still Believe, Jalen Ngonda, Jessica Pratt, L’impératrice, Makaya McCraven, Nathy Peluso, Obongjayar, Sofie Royer and Wunderhorse.
France’s Hellfest (19-22 June) in Clisson is headed by Korn, Muse, Scorpions and Linkin Park. The lineup also includes Till Lindemann, The Hu, Cypress Hill, Refused, Myles Kennedy, Eagles of Death Metal, Electric Callboy, Judas Priest, Falling in Reverse, Turnstile, Knocked Loose, Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, Within Temptation and A Day To Remember, among others.
Charli XCX, Queens of the Stone Age and Girl in Red join the previously announced Chappell Roan in topping the bill at Norway’s Øya Festival (5-9 August). The Oslo gathering will also welcome Montell Fish, Fontaines D.C., Kneecap, The Mary Wallopers, Nilüfer Yanya, Pa Salieu, Brenn, Daniel Romano’s Outfit, Amenra, Arp Frique & The Perpetual Singers, Envy and Klikk9.
Syd for Solen (7-9 August) in Søndermarken, Frederiksberg, Denmark, also has Chappell Roan and Queens of the Stone Age, plus a supporting cast including Khruangbin and MJ Lenderman & The Wind.
Charli XCX, Fontaines D.C., Khruangbin, Bicep and Beth Gibbons are among the first names confirmed for Flow Festival Helsinki (8-10 August). Veronica Maggio, Autechre, Kneecap, Montell Fish, Joy Orbison, Avalon Emerson, Sexmane, Pehmoaino: ”Sätkynukkekoti”, Pariisin Kevät, Melo, Saimaa, Regina: Soita Mulle, DJ Ibusal, Emma & Matilda and Good Boys also feature.
Kings of Leon, Massive Attack, Fontaines D.C., St Vincent and Yard Act will play Croatia’s INmusic
Czechia’s Colours of Ostrava (16-19 July) has Iggy Pop, Sting, The Chainsmokers, Justice and Snow Patrol alongside the likes of Sofi Tukker, Dan Bárta & Illustratosphere, Noga Erez, Kalush Orchestra, J.A.R., James Smith, and Loverman.
The Netherlands’ Best Kept Secret (13-15 June) has booked artists including Barry Can’t Swim, Deftones, Michael Kiwanuka, Eefjee De Visser, TV on the Radio, Wilco, Djo, Kneecap, Caribou, Amadou & Mariam and Blanco White.
Headlining Scotland’s TRNSMT (11-13 July) are 50 Cent, The Script, Biffy Clyro, Fontaines D.C., Snow Patrol and Gracie Adams. The Glasgow Green event will also star Confidence Man, Jamie Webster, Kneecap, Inhaler, Jack Bugg, The Kooks, Sigrid, Underworld, Wunderhorse, The Lathums and Shed Seven.
Also in the UK, Boomtown Chapter 4: Power Of Now (6-10 August) will host Maribou State, Sean Paul. Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, Overmono, Hybrid Minds, Nia Archives, Azealia Banks and Rudimental. Held at Hampshire’s Matterley Estate Boomtown will also star performers such as The Wailers, Boney M, The Blessed Madonna, Joy Orbison, Anfisa Letyago, Pa Salieu, Kurupt FM, Honey Dijon, Kenya Grace, Nova Twins and Fat Dog.
Caribou, Father John Misty, Self Esteem and Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory will grace Dorset’s End of the Road (28-31 August), with other acts including Black Country, New Road, Ela Minus, Emma-Jean Thackray, Joy Orbison, Moonchild Sanelly, These New Puritans and Mount Kimbie.
Elsewhere, Kings of Leon, Massive Attack, Fontaines D.C., St Vincent and Yard Act will play INmusic (23-25 June) in Zagreb, Croatia, while Afrojack Hardwell, Timmy Trumpet, Oliver Heldens, Sara Landry, I Hate Models, W&W and Steve Aoki top the bill at Germany’s largest electronic music festival Parookaville (18-20 July).
And Belgium’s Gent Jazz (4-19 July) has announced Max Richter, St Vincent, The Waterboys, Kamasi Washington, Anna Calvi, Bonnie Raitt, Anoushka Shankar and Lander & Adriaan so far.
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Electric Castle turns 10: ‘This is just the beginning’
Electric Castle organisers have hailed a “crazy but beautiful” 10th-anniversary edition.
The Romanian festival returned to the 15th-century Banffy Castle in Transylvania between 17 and 21 July, with more than 200 artists.
Massive Attack, Bring Me the Horizon, Chase & Status, Sean Paul, Paolo Nutini and Khruangbin helped to draw an average 50,000 daily attendees (with a peak of 68,000 on Saturday) – a 20% increase from last year’s edition and a new record for the festival.
While this year’s edition was a triumph by all accounts, Electric Castle’s Renate Rozenberg says it was also “one of the most difficult editions to handle”.
“It was crazy from all points of view,” she tells IQ. “It was full of challenges – and new challenges.”
“The global IT outage turned us upside down”
One of those novelties was the global IT outage on Friday that grounded flights and caused a raft of artists to miss their scheduled sets at the festival.
Fourteen acts, including Sleaford Mods, Hospitality Night and Sasha, were absent from Electric Castle due to the faulty security update that caused 8.5 million Microsoft Windows computers to crash.
“It turned us upside down,” Rozenberg admits. “Everyone tried really hard to solve an unsolvable situation… you couldn’t book a new flight or even open airlines’ websites but the artists were so patient and some even waited in the airport for 12 hours or so. It was amazing how hard they tried to attend the festival.”
Mercurial weather was also a challenge for the festival, with high temperatures, storms and rain on rotation during the first few days.
But, as Rozenberg points out, it’s a hurdle that organisers have been clearing since the very first edition of Electric Castle, which was hit with record rainfall for Romania.
“We should help artists who are really good to ‘get there’… that’s what Electric Castle is about”
“We have a tradition with rain,” laughs Rozenberg. “We are the most prepared festival in Romania for that kind of weather – we know how to handle things – and what I love is that [attendees] have also learned how to handle it. We’ve changed the mentality of what rain means at a festival… it can be fun!”
Alongside the rain, the festival has become renowned for its “full-time experience” with five of the 10 stages operating a non-stop schedule.
The festival also offers a wide range of activities including sports, cinema and standup shows at the newly opened comedy club.
“Music and dancing are important but you can’t do it 24 hours a day,” says Rozenberg. “It’s a challenge to programme all day and all night but fortunately our community is curious and they have a huge appetite to discover what we suggest.”
This attitude among attendees allows the festival to be more adventurous with its artist bookings, and dedicate space on the programme to emerging and domestic talent.
“We always wanted to be a festival open for people from all walks of life”
“For example, we booked IDLES five or six years ago when they weren’t yet a name, and we really loved them so we put them on one of our most important stages and a month ago they played Glastonbury,” says Rozenberg.
“We should help artists who are really good to ‘get there’. We are doing that for the international market but also for the Romanian market. That is what Electric Castle is about.”
Another mission for the festival’s organisers is to maintain the affordability of the festival.
“We always wanted to be a festival open for people from all walks of life,” explains Rozenberg. “We want to be accessible. If you want to be the king of the castle, there’s fine dining and luxury camping. If you want to attend the festival with a low budget, there’s a supermarket on site and low rates for camping. We’re a festival that wants to focus on comfort for our attendees.”
“We strive to make the next edition better than the previous one”
Rozenberg says it’s thanks to “a lot” of partners and sponsors that costs are kept down for the fans and the festival.
“They invest a lot in Electric Castle, not just financially, but in terms of the experience,” she adds. “We are lucky that they bring games and entertainment too.”
With 10 successful editions under Electric Castle’s belt, organisers are only more ambitious to grow the festival.
“Ten years is just the beginning,” says Rozenberg. “We strive to make the next edition better than the previous one. A festival mirrors the people who are creating it. We are curious people and we don’t settle. And if we want more, people will get more.”
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Major festivals impacted by global IT outage
Romania’s Electric Castle, Latvia’s Positivus and Austria’s Poolbar are among the major festivals impacted by one of the worst IT outages in history, this weekend.
Last Friday, a faulty security update by cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike caused 8.5 million Microsoft Windows computers to crash around the world, with businesses, banks, hospitals and airlines among the worst-hit.
Thousands of flights were cancelled due to the glitch, causing some artists to miss their scheduled sets at the weekend’s festivals.
Electric Castle’s 10th edition was hit with 14 cancellations by artists including Sleaford Mods, Hospitality Night, Sasha, Dov’è Liana, Jayda G, Ron Trent, Zack Fox, Hoax, PVC, Anais, INJA, Unglued, Voltage and Kings of the Rollers.
“It was crazy… the most difficult edition to handle,” EC’s Renate Rozenberg tells IQ. “We have to admit that what happened on Friday turned us upside down but we are so grateful because, once again, we were shown that we really are a community – not only with our team or the festivalgoers but with the artists and their teams.”
“Everybody tried really hard to solve an unsolvable situation”
“Everybody tried really hard to solve an unsolvable situation but you couldn’t book a new flight or even open airlines’ websites,” she continues. “But the artists were so patient and some even waited in the airport for 12 hours or so. It was amazing how hard they tried to attend the festival.”
A handful of artists even arrived minutes before their sets, according to Rozenberg.
“Nina Kravitz, for example, was supposed to perform on Friday at 11 pm but at 6 pm she was still stuck in an airport. We didn’t know if she would make it but she did at the last minute, and she was there on stage and performing and everything was great.”
While Electric Castle kept all its headliners in place, Latvia’s Positivus wasn’t so lucky. Two of the three headliners, Offset and Nothing But Thieves, were forced to cancel their performances at the festival due to the outage.
“In its sixteen years of existence, the Positivus Festival had never faced such immense challenges as it did yesterday”
“In its sixteen years of existence, the Positivus Festival had never faced such immense challenges as it did yesterday,” organisers wrote on Saturday (20 July).
“Until late [on Friday] night, we were searching for a charter flight to bring Offset from London to Riga,” they explained. “As soon as it became clear that it would not be possible for him to fly on Friday with a special flight, we searched until late into the night for possibilities to fly on Saturday. The technical personnel of the artists were already in the festival area yesterday and ready for the concert. However, the artist himself was so worried about his ability to get back to America that they decided to cancel the show.”
Nothing But Thieves, on the other hand, were unable to transport their large amount of luggage due to issues at the airport and the band’s headlining spot was filled by Benjamin Clementine. All other artists arrived at the festival in Riga.
Friday ticket holders were invited to attend the festival on Saturday.
Elsewhere in Europe, Austria’s Poolbar festival was forced to reschedule Bombay Bicycle Club’s show from Friday to Sunday (21 July), as the band’s flights were affected by the glitch.
Combination tickets to the festival were made valid for Friday and Sunday. Ticket holders who were unable to attend on Sunday could return their tickets to booking offices.
The festival was taking place between 4 July to 11 August in the city of Feldkirch in the Austrian province of Vorarlberg with between 20,000 and 25,000 people.
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Euro festival preview: Paléo, Electric Castle, Tomorrowland
Continuing our weekly preview of European festivals, IQ gives readers a glimpse of what’s in-store this week…
In Switzerland, Paléo is gearing up for a banner edition having sold all 200,000 tickets for the 2024 event in just 21 minutes.
The 35,000-capacity festival will run in Nyon from 23-28 July, featuring acts such as Sam Smith, Burna Boy, Booba, Mika, Sean Paul, Major Lazer Soundsystem, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Patti Smith, The Blaze, Paul Kalkbrenner, Aurora and Royal Blood.
Paléo booker Dany Hassenstein spoke to IQ earlier this year about the festival’s longstanding bond with its audience.
Meanwhile, the stage has been set for Electric Castle‘s 10th-anniversary edition, which will welcome over 230,000 visitors to Transylvania’s 15th-century Banffy Castle.
Paléo is gearing up for a banner edition having sold all 200,000 tickets for the 2024 event in just 21 minutes
The Romanian festival will see acts including Massive Attack, Bring Me the Horizon, Chase & Status LIVE, Sean Paul, Paolo Nutini, and Khruangbin perform between 17–21 July.
Czech Republic’s Colours of Ostrava (17–20) also kicks off today, with Sam Smith, James Blake, Tom Morello, Lenny Kravitz, Sean Paul and Khruangbin among the top-billing acts.
The festival launched in Ostrava in 2002 and has become the country’s biggest international music festival.
Belgium’s biggest festival, Tomorrowland, will also take place this weekend with 400,000 guests.
Tickets for the 20th-anniversary edition sold out in less than a day, IQ reported in February.
The electronic music extravaganza is held across two weekends in Boom, Antwerp, from 19-21 and 26-28 July.
Tickets for the 20th-anniversary edition of Tomorrowland sold out in less than a day
Staged under the ‘LIFE’ theme, more than 400 acts including Armin van Buuren, Amelie Lens, Bonobo B2B Dixon, David Guetta, ANNA, Vintage Culture, Tale Of Us, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Solomun B2B Four Tet and Swedish House Mafia will appear across 16 stages.
In neighbouring Germany, Parookaville is ramping up for another sold-out edition with 225,000 attendees. The electronic music event has been sold out every year since launching in 2015.
Armin van Buuren, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Felix Jaehn, Hardwell, Timmy Trumpet and W&W are among 300+ DJs that are set to perform at this year’s instalment, at Weeze Airport between 19–21 July.
And, elsewhere, the gates to Super Bock Super Rock will open tomorrow, offering headline sets from Måneskin, 21 Savage and Stormzy.
Royal Blood, Tom Morello, Black Coffee, Slow J, Mahalia, Fisher, Vulfpeck and Will Butler are also slated to perform on Meco Beach, South Lisbon, from 18-20 July.
Other festivals due to kick off within the next week include Benicassim (ES), Positivus (LV), Ejekt Festival (GR), Lucca Summer Festival (IT) and Zwarte Cross (NL).
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Ambition pays off: The Electric Castle phenomenon
In the last decade, Electric Castle has evolved from a bold idea into a leading force in the festival scene, setting new standards for both audience and artist experiences. Held annually at the Bánffy Castle in Transylvania, Romania, the festival is a showcase of the power of ambition and the relentless pursuit of improvement every year.
A bold musical journey
Many events today opt for lineups that guarantee immediate success. While this approach can be effective, it often comes at the expense of the event’s unique identity. Electric Castle has always aimed to be more than just another festival. Avoiding the easy route of relying solely on big names and popular trends, the festival curates a diverse and adventurous musical journey. Superstars like Massive Attack, Queens of The Stone Age, and Bring Me The Horizon might headline this year’s edition, but the lineup also features numerous hidden gems, encouraging festival-goers to look beyond the usual suspects. By exploring European showcases and promoting local and regional talents, the organizers ensure that attendees experience fresh and exciting sounds.
Unique landscape creating unique experiences
A beautiful 16th century castle might be enough to build a festival around, but not for Electric Castle team. Using creative solutions to enhance the natural environment around the historical domain, the festival surprises in terms of event architecture solutions developed to perfectly integrate 11 stages, dozen of activities and a generous camping. Few festival would consider moving their main stage just to make sure that the crowd enjoys the sunset every night, but Electric people are the kind to think even at this. Add a sandy beach, a labirith through the trees and yet these features still don’t encompass all that the festival has to offer. Each element is carefully designed to create a unique and memorable experience, making Electric Castle truly one of a kind.
The ambition to create a unique event has truly paid off, attracting a very special crowd
A lineup for food and drinks? Why not
Food and drink at Electric Castle are given as much thought as the music. The festival has transformed dining into an integral part of the experience, blending high-end culinary delights with more traditional festival fare. A top-tier restaurant set within the castle grounds offers fine dining, a delightful contrast to the food courts that cater to all tastes. Just an extra layer of enjoyment to the festival experience and another proof that everything should be considered in detail.
Celebrating Romanian Talent
Launched at a time when the festival market in Romania was struggling and lacked direction, Electric Castle took on the mission of promoting local culture and talent. Romanian musicians, craftsmen, designers, and producers are given a prominent platform to showcase their work. The festival has created an ‘anti-mall’ – a unique space dedicated to young creators, where innovation and creativity thrive.
And a crowd like no other
The ambition to create a unique event has truly paid off, attracting a very special crowd. Known for their open-mindedness and eagerness to embrace quality over trends, the festival-goers contribute to an atmosphere that is both welcoming and vibrant. It’s no surprise that many artists eagerly return to the castle, knowing they are performing for an audience that genuinely appreciates the art and effort behind each performance. It’s so natural to see people attending the festival for the fifth or sixth year in a row that the only question left is, “Why haven’t you?”
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Romania’s Electric Castle set for biggest year yet
Romania’s Electric Castle set for its biggest year yet, marking the 10th edition.
Electric Castle is expecting to welcome over 230,000 visitors across five days of non-stop music this July. Set in Transylvania’s Banffy Castle, the festival stands as one of Europe’s most uniquely impressive offerings and since its debut in 2013 has created an ever-growing international community around the annual gathering. Last year Electric Castle attracted visitors from 14 countries and is expected to expand even further this year for a special anniversary edition.
This year marks its 10th edition with an impressively varied line up spanning sought-after headline acts from Massive Attack and Chase & Status to Bring Me The Horizon, Queens of the Stone Age, Paolo Nutini, Sean Paul and Ricardo Villalobos. Recently completing the lineup with almost 300 names, the festival also delves far beyond music – which runs day and night for a fully 24-hour experience throughout. Within the grounds is found a wealth of media installations, performances, and disruptive talks.
The 15th century castle and cultural centre in the Cluj-Napoca area of Romania plays a key role in the theme of the festival each year. The festival contributes to the Baroque monument’s restoration and strives to leave a positive impact on its surroundings as a sustainable low emissions festival. During the festival, a mini-society called EC Village is built to accommodate camping in green spaces where 4,000 trees have been planted in just one of many green initiatives under the banner of Nature Is Our Dance Floor.
Electric Castle has been frequently recognised at the European Festival Awards with nominations every year, and has received the award for Best Camping, Best Food & Drinks and Best Medium Festival – a testament to attention to detail given to the overall experience of festivalgoers.
Electric Castle has established itself as a pivotal launchpad for artists from Romania and its neighbouring countries
The giant main stage has played host to a crop of the world’s biggest live acts over the years, including Gorillaz, Iggy Pop, The Prodigy, Sigur Ros, Skrillex, Damian Marley, Limp Bizkit, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Florence + The Machine and many more. Elsewhere, the festival explores an extensive array of electronic and alternative styles at the Hanger stage, the industrial BOOHA space, the woodland Hideout arena, the late night Dance Garden, as well
as the family-friendly Beach area. Plus there’s even more to discover around the grounds at the Backyard Stage, Radio Stage, Stables, Roots Stage and even at a venue located inside the campsite.
In its mission to foster a diverse musical landscape, from its very first edition, Electric Castle has established itself as a pivotal launchpad for artists from Romania and its neighbouring countries, focusing on nurturing talents from lesser-known music markets on the international stage. By its 10th anniversary, the festival has evolved into a vibrant hub for both local acts and artists from Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, or Moldova.
This year’s edition of Electric Castle is not to be missed, as a greater number of music and art lovers from around the world find themselves captivated by Transylvania’s hidden secret of the summer season.
The 10th edition of Electric Castle takes place 17-21 July 2024, and performing this year will be Massive Attack, Queens of the Stone Age, Bring Me the Horizon, Chase & Status LIVE, Sean Paul, Paolo Nutini, Khruangbin, Palaye Royale, Marc Rebillet, DJ Diesel (SHAQ), Sevdaliza, DJ Shadow, Bonobo DJ SET, Apashe with Brass Orchestra, Kenya Grace, Sleaford Mods and more.
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Festivals ‘24: Coachella, Roskilde, Electric Castle
Several festivals are celebrating anniversaries this year, including Romania’s Electric Castle, the US’s Newport Jazz Festival, and the Rolling Loud franchise, plus a raft of artists have filled out 2024 lineups across the world.
Coachella kicks off Friday, bringing 125,000 fans to the Californian desert for the first of two weekends. Vampire Weekend have been added to this weekend’s lineup, with both weekends to be led by Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator, and Doja Cat, among a multitude of other performers.
The 2024 edition will also see the expansion of the Goldenvoice-promoted event’s dance music offerings with the launch of the Quasar stage. Tickets are still available for the second weekend from 19-21 April.
Denmark’s non-profit festival Roskilde has completed its 2024 lineup, adding 21 Savage, PinkPantheress, Amaarae, Barry Can’t Swim, Belle & Sebastian, and Tinashe to its 29 June-6 July programme. Close to 200 acts will perform across the eight-day event, one of Europe’s largest festivals, anchored by SZA, Doja Cat, Kali Uchis, Foo Fighters, and Skrillex.
Several festivals will celebrate anniversaries with this year’s editions
For its 10th edition, Romania’s Electric Castle has added Paolo Nutini, Sean Paul, Todd Terje, Antony Szmierek, Kungs, Yune Pinku, and more to their non-stop lineup. The 17-21 August festival, held in Bánffy Castle, will also feature Massive Attack, Bring Me The Horizon, Queens of the Stone Age, Chase & Status, and Shaquille O’Neal as DJ Diesel.
The US’s Newport Jazz Festival will celebrate its 70th anniversary with a star-studded lineup, led by André 3000, Nile Rogers & CHIC, Kamasi Washington, and Elvis Costello. The 2-4 August Rhode Island affair will also feature Laufey, Robert Glasper, Brittany Howard, and Samara Joy.
Also celebrating an anniversary, Rolling Loud has announced plans to return to Miami for its 10th edition in December. The hip-hop festival is also set to voyage to Austria from 5-7 July and Thailand from 22-24 November, having already held its California edition from 14-15 March.
All Points East has wrapped up its 2024 lineup with Mitski on tap to headline a day of the London concert series. She’ll be joined by Beabadoobee, TV Girl, Ethel Cain, Arlo Parks, Sir Chloe, and more. The AEG Presents-backed six-show series, set for 16-18 and 23-25 August, will also feature Kaytranada, Loyle Carner, LCD Soundsystem, Justice, Pink Pantheress, The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie as headliners.
German electronic MELT Festival, set for 11-13 August, has rounded out its programme with 25 new names including Chase & Status, Yussef Dayes, acidheaven, and DJ Swagger and the Program Jazz Busters. Previously announced names for the Goodlive-backed mainstay include Sampha, James Blake, Skepta, and Bonobo.
“Book those flights, get that time off work, pack the suitcase because we’re raving in the sunshine!”
With five weeks to go, Brighton’s The Great Escape have added a raft of new names to their hundreds-stong lineup, including Kenya Grace, Hitech, Ife Ogunjobi, Cykada, Love Remain (DJ), Swimming Paul, and Modern Biology. They’ll join the spotlight artist Faye Webster, along with previously announced Wunderhouse, Soft Play, Gia Ford, and Jalen Ngonda, from 15-18 May.
British pop group Take That has announced a four-day festival in Malta, a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to see the band perform in an intimate live setting, with an array of special guests. The Greatest Weekend, held from 17-20 October, will also feature Sugababes, Sam Ryder, Daniel Bedingfield, and Ella Henderson.
Smash!Bang!Pow!’s Syd For Solen, which will upgrade venues this year, has added Michael Kiwanuka, Rachel Chinouriri, and queen eee gee to their three-day lineup. They’ll join Fred again.., André 3000, Yussef Dayes, Queens of the Stone Age, AIR, and Big Thief for the 8-10 August instalment of the Copenhagen festival.
BBC Radio 1’s Dance Weekend is set to return to Ibiza, led by CamelPhat, Jazzy & Belters Only, Dom Dolla, Gorgon City, and Armand Van Helden. The two-stage, one-day event, which will be broadcast via BBC, will take place on 2 August.
“It’s been a staple in the summer calendar for years and not only does it showcase the world’s biggest & best DJs but it’s been known to create the most iconic moments in dance on the white isle that are remembered for a lifetime,” says BBC host Danny Howard. “Book those flights, get that time off work, pack the suitcase because we’re raving in the sunshine!”
Robbie Williams has been unveiled as Calabash South Africa’s second headliner, joining Green Day, The Offspring, and Fokofpolisiekar during the Big Concerts-promoted event’s second edition. The touring festival will land in Johannesburg from 18-19 January 2025 and Cape Town from 22-23 January 2025.
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Festivals 2024: Electric Castle, Parklife, Sonar
The run-up to Christmas has brought with it another cavalcade of 2024 festival line-up announcements from across the world.
Massive Attack, Queens Of The Stone Age and Bring Me The Horizon will headline the 10th birthday of Romania’s “24-hour festival experience” Electric Castle, which takes place at Bánffy Castle in Transylvania from 17-21 July.
Spread across 10 stages, other acts confirmed include Chase & Status, DJ Shadow, Khruangbin, Sleaford Mods, Bonobo, Marc Rebillet, Priya Ragu and Kenya Grace in addition to DJ Diesel, aka NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.
Elsewhere, in a European festival exclusive, Fisher and Chris Lake will bring their Under Construction show from America for the first time to the UK’s Parklife. The house music duo are the first headliner announced for the festival, which will be held in Manchester’s Heaton Park on 8-9 June.
In what is billed as an industry-first, weekend tickets have been reduced from £129.50 to £125 to make them “accessible to all”.
Also in the UK, BST Hyde Park has named Robbie Williams as its second headliner for 2024. The pop icon, who previously starred at the London concert series in 2019, will appear on 6 July.
“We’re extremely happy to have Lenny Kravitz back on the poster, after the pandemic forced us to cancel in 2020”
Portsmouth’s Victorious Festival will take place from 23-25 August, headlined by Fatboy Slim, Jamie T and Biffy Clyro. The star-studded bill also features Snow Patrol, Idles, Jess Glynne, Courteeners, Pixies, The Lathums, Holly Humberstone, Becky Hill, Wet Leg, Soft Play, The Snuts, Maximo Park, Lottery Winners, Lightning Seeds and Yard Act, among others.
Plus, Crowded House (17 June), Nick Mulvey (20 June), Jungle (27 June) and Underworld (29 June) are the first acts unveiled for the second edition of Berkshire’s On The Mount at Wasing.
Sónar Barcelona, set for 13-15 June, revealed its first 70 artists for next year, including Floating Points, Kaytranada, Jessie Ware, Ben Böhmer, Martinez Brothers, Charlotte de Witte, Toya Delazy, Kerri Chandler and Reinier Zonneveld.
In Germany, Jazzopen Stuttgart celebrates its 30th anniversary from 18-29 July with artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Sting, Sam Smith, Jamie Cullum, Lawrence, Lettuce and The Cat Empire. Plus, Hamburg’s MS Dockville hosts the likes of Jeremias, Disarstar, Mayberg, Lime Cordiale, Fuffifufzich, My Ugly Clementine, Zeck, Hak Baker, Art School Girlfriend and Uche Yara between 16-18 August.
Lenny Kravitz has also joined the bill of Tinderbox in Odense, Denmark, from 27-29 June. The rocker was originally scheduled for the 2020 edition, which was cancelled due to Covid.
“We’re extremely happy to have Lenny Kravitz back on the poster, after the pandemic forced us to cancel in 2020,” says festival CEO Brian Nielsen. “Lenny Kravitz is one of the most inspiring artists of our time and continues to put his mark on the global music scene. We can’t wait to see what kind of magic will appear when he takes the stage at Tinderbox next summer.”
“Skrillex has single-handedly cut through a lot of barriers and is bringing together people across generations, nations, and musical inclinations”
Denmark’s Roskilde has added Skrillex, Róisín Murphy, Aurora, SexyyRed, Noname, Yaeji, Bar Italia, Shovel Dance Collective, Rhiannon Giddens and Kara Jackson to its bill. The 52nd edition of the festival will feature more than 170 acts from 29 June to 6 July.
“Skrillex has single-handedly cut through a lot of barriers and is bringing together people across generations, nations, and musical inclinations,” says programme director Anders Wahrén. “Everything we’ve seen and heard from Skrillex in 2023 – and that sums up to quite a lot – serves as euphoric and indisputable proof of his musical ambitions and innovative technical wizardry. We’re excited for this to unfold at Roskilde Festival.”
Finland’s Sideways has announced Peggy Gou, Jungle, Fontaines DC and Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek for 13-15 June in Helsinki, and DJ sets from Bou, Dimension, Hedex, Sub Focus and Wilkinson will headline the inaugural DnB Allstars Portugal in Portimao from 3-6 May.
Camila Cabello joins Scorpions and Ed Sheeran in topping Rock in Rio Lisbon‘s 10th edition, set for 15-16 & 22-23 June, while Imagine Dragons are the latest headliner unveiled for the 40th anniversary of Rock in Rio Brazil, scheduled for 13-22 September.
Norway’s Oya Festival, meanwhile, has bolstered its 25th anniversary lineup with bands including Queens Of The Stone Age, The Smile and The National from 7-10 August.
“We hope our festive festival helps bring a moment of joy to travellers this Christmas”
Over in the US, Foo Fighters, Noah Kahan, and Weezer will headline the 2024 edition of rock festival Shaky Knees. Taking place 3-5 May at Central Park in downtown Atlanta, the lineup features over 60 artists across four stages also including Queens Of The Stone Age, Arcade Fire, Girl in Red, Billy Idol, The Offspring, Portugal. The Man, Young the Giant and Interpol.
Cruel World will return to Brookside at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on 11 May, starring Duran Duran, Blondie, Interpol, Simple Minds, Placebo, Soft Cell, Adam Ant and The Jesus and Mary Chain, while Skrillex, Rezz, David Guetta, Carl Cox, Armin van Buuren and Alesso are among acts lined up for EDC Mexico, which runs in Mexico City from 23-25 February.
And Trainline has announced TrainLive, the UK’s first “train station music festival”, which will take place in a London train station this Friday, 8 December, topped by Sugababes and featuring a range of up-and-coming local musicians. Tickets for the Sugababes performance can be won through a ballot hosted on the Trainline website, with ticket-holders to receive an email the morning of the event, revealing the secret location.
“We’ve always been committed to getting journeys off to a great start, by making it easy to find and buy great-value rail tickets,” says Sakshi Anand, Trainline’s VP of growth and UK general manager. “Now we want to get Christmas off to a great start too, by hosting our first ever music festival in a station. From new artists to our iconic headliners, we hope our festive festival helps bring a moment of joy to travellers this Christmas.”
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Romania’s Saga postpones as lockdown lifting nears
The inaugural edition of Insomniac- and Alda-promoted Saga festival has been postponed to September, as the Romanian government prepares to begin a staggered easing of lockdown restrictions in mid-May.
Organisers of Saga, which was originally set to debut from 5 to 7 June in Bucharest’s Izvor park, state the postponement is “the best option for Saga festival with the health and wellbeing of visitors a main priority”.
Although the line-up for the rescheduled event on 11 to 13 September “may be slightly different due to artist scheduling”, organisers assure fans the billing “will be up to [the] standards” of dance music giants Insomniac (Electric Daisy Carnival) and Alda (Amsterdam Music Festival, New Horizons).
Saga joins fellow Bucharest festival Europafest, a multi-venue jazz, blues, pop and classical music event, to change its 2020 dates in view of the coronavirus crisis. Scheduled for May, organisers say they are now planning for Europafest to take place in the second half of July, with dates depending on the evolution of the situation in Romania and at European level.
Other major festivals in Romania, including electronic music events Untold and Neversea and European Festival Awards 2019 winners Electric Castle, Jazz in the Park and ARTmania, have yet to announce changes to their 2020 editions. The government expected to give more details on the future of public events when it begins to ease its stringent lockdown laws – which have seen citizens collectively fined up to €78 million for flouting restrictions – on 15 May.
“Large-scale events are unlikely to take place given the announced and forecasted restrictions”
Although Emil Boc, mayor of the city of Cluj-Napoca where Untold, Electric Castle and Jazz in the Park take place, has said that large-scale events are “unlikely to take place given the announced and forecasted restrictions”, he notes that “difference and diverse ways of organising these events can be found”.
Festival organisers in Romania have also found diverse and different ways of helping the fight against coronavirus in recent weeks.
Promoters in Cluj-Napoca are selling “solidarity tickets” as part of the A Single Cluj (Un Singur Cluj) campaign, which brings together event organisers and others in the region to synchronise relief efforts and pool resources. By purchasing a solidarity ticket, fans can make direct donations to hospitals and other public institutions. “Ticket” prices range from RON 10 to RON 5,000 (€1,034).
Money raised by the campaign has gone towards buying surgical masks for help workers and supplying food to frontline staff. Members of the initiative have also helped to construct emergency triage centres.
The team behind Untold festival, currently set to take place from 30 July to 2 August with acts including Martin Garrix, Steve Aoki, Pussycat Dolls and David Guetta, launched the United Romania initiative, which aims to “bring together the good in Romania”.
So far, the campaign has helped supply six trucks with equipment such as portable flooring, geotextile and lighting from Untold and Neversea festivals for a field hospital in the city of Constanta and has provided 12,000 tests and other medical materials to hospitals in Cluj.
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Festival Fever: More festivals reveal their 2020 line-ups
Following on from last week’s round-up of 2020 line-up announcements, IQ looks at a selection of festivals to see which acts will be gracing the stages in summer 2020.
(See the previous edition of Festival Fever here.)
Rock Werchter
When: 2 to 5 July
Where: Festival Park, Werchter, Belgium
How many: 88,000
Pearl Jam and Twenty One Pilots are the first acts announced for the 2020 edition of Rock Werchter, playing on 2 and 4 July respectively.
Founded and promoted by Live Nation Belgium CEO Herman Schueremans, Rock Werchter last year saw headline performances from Pink, the Cure, Tool, Florence and the Machine, Mumford and Sons and Muse, in an edition that Schueremans deemed “a top result compared to a lot of festivals in Europe and the USA” that year.
Speaking at the International Festival Forum (IFF) in September this year, the Rock Werchter founder stressed the continued importance of festivals, saying they “sustain the live industry just as the Amazon rainforest sustains the world’s climate.”
Tickets for Rock Werchter 2020 go on sale on 6 December at 10 a.m. (CET), with a full festival ticket costing €243 (£207) and a single day-pass priced at €110 (£94).
Pearl Jam and Twenty One Pilots are the first acts announced for the 2020 edition of Rock Werchter
Nos Alive
When: 9 to 11 July
Where: Passeio Maritimo de Alges, Lisbon, Portugal
How many: 55,000
Everything is New’s Nos Alive festival runs on the ethos that “all stages are main stages”, last year programming acts including Johnny Marr, Primal Scream, Greta Van Fleet, Idles, Bon Iver, Grace Jones and Vampire Weekend.
The 2020 edition of the festival sees headliners Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and local favourites Da Weasel playing alongside Caribou, Two Door Cinema Club and Haim.
Portugal’s preeminent annual annual rock festival, Nos Alive is now entering its 14th year, having expanded from three stages in its inaugural year to seven, while striving to keep ticket prices low.
Tickets for Nos Alive 2020 are available now, priced at €69 (£59) for a one-day ticket and €159 (£136) for a three-day pass.
The 2020 edition of the festival sees headliners Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and local favourites Da Weasel
Latitude
When: 16 to 19 July
Where: Henham Park, Suffolk, UK
How many: 40,000
Latitude is one of a number of Festival Republic events to have enjoyed back-to-back sell-outs in recent years. The 2019 edition, which saw headline performances from George Ezra, Stereophonics and Lana Del Rey, contributed a season that, according to Festival Republic MD Melvin Benn,“genuinely couldn’t have been better.”
The 15th edition of Latitude includes headline performances from Liam Gallagher, the Chemical Brothers and Haim, with the Lumineers, Michael Kiwanuka, Keane and Charli XCX also appearing on the bill.
Gallagher, who is currently playing around the UK on the Why Me? Why Not? tour, is returning to the festival after playing as the ‘secret act’ in 2018.
Tickets for Latitude festival 2020 go on sale on 6 December at 9 a.m. (GMT). Adult weekend tickets cost £210, with accompanied teen tickets priced at $145 and child passes at £15.
Latitude is one of a number of Festival Republic events to have enjoyed back-to-back sell-outs in recent years
Isle of Wight Festival
When: 11 to 14 June
Where: Seaclose Park, Isle of Wight, UK
How many: 90,000
The Isle of Wight festival yesterday (3 December) revealed its 2020 headliners, with Lionel Richie and Lewis Capaldi playing the mainstage on the opening night, Snow Patrol and the Chemical Brothers heading up the second evening and Duran Duran closing proceedings on the Sunday.
The 2020 festival will mark the 50th anniversary of its 1970 edition, which saw headline performances from Jimi Hendrix, the Who and Joni Mitchell and constituted the last festival on the island until its 2002 resurrection.
“I’m excited to be playing at the Isle of Wight Festival next summer,” says Lionel Richie, who will make his debut appearance at the event. “It’s a festival steeped in music history – Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones have all headlined and I’m honoured to be joining the esteemed list.”
Other acts on the 2020 line-up include Happy Mondays, Kaiser Chiefs, Sam Fender, Dido, James Arthur and Primal Scream.
Tickets for the Isle of Wight Festival 2020 go on sale on 6 December at 9 a.m. (GMT), with adult weekend tickets priced at £185.
“It’s a festival steeped in music history – Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones have all headlined”
Electric Castle
When: 15 to 19 July
Where: Bannfy Castle, Cluj, Romania
How many: 50,000
Romania’s multi-genre Electric Castle festival is returning for its 8th year in 2020, with already announced acts including Twenty One Pilots, Foals, Floating Points, the Neighbourhood and Fisher.
The 2019 edition of the festival, which takes place each year in an old Transylvanian castle, saw performances from Florence and the Machine, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Limp Bizkit, Bring Me the Horizon and Chvrches.
For the second consecutive year, Electric Castle will have an area dedicated to visual artists, called the New Media Castle, which will house art installations from Robert Henke, James Clar and Claire Hentschker.
Tickets for Electric Castle 2020 are available here, with general tickets costing LEI 499 (£89) and camping passes priced at LEI 539 (£96).
Romania’s multi-genre Electric Castle festival is returning for its 8th year in 2020
Bilbao BBK Live
When: 9 to 11 July
Where: Kobetamendi, Bilbao, Spain
How many: 40,000
Set in the mountains near to the coastal city of Bilbao, BBK Live has nearly doubled in size in recent years. The Spanish festival welcomed 112,800 people from 100 different countries to its 14th edition last year, with performances from the Strokes, Rosalía, Liam Gallagher and Hot Chip.
Founded in 2006, BBK Live has seen the likes of the Police, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, New Order, Depeche Mode, Guns N’ Roses and Lenny Kravitz perform over the years.
For the 2020 edition, Kendrick Lamar, the Killers, Pet Shop Boys and Bad Bunny top the bill, playing along with Caribou, Four Tet, Supergrass, Kelly Lee Owens and Slowthai, with more acts still to be announced.
Tickets for Bilbao BBK Live are available here with a full festival pass costing €140 (£119) and camping tickets priced at €158 (£134).
For the 2020 edition, Kendrick Lamar, the Killers, Pet Shop Boys and Bad Bunny top the bill
All Points East
When: 22 to 31 May
Where: Victoria Park, London, UK
How many: 40,000
All Points East has announced another headliner since the last edition of Festival Fever. German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk will perform their only UK show of the year at the festival on Friday 29 May, supported by Iggy Pop, Johnny Marr, the Orb and others.
Kraftwerk mark the second UK exclusive for the festival, adding to the headline performance from Tame Impala on Saturday 23 May.
AEG’s other London festival, British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park has added Taylor Swift and Pearl Jam to its 2020 headliner list, following the announcement of its first headline act, Little Mix, last week.
Pearl Jam will perform on Friday 10 July, as part of their 13-date European summer tour, with Swift playing on the following evening. Pixies and White Reaper will join Pearl Jam on the Friday.
Little Mix will play the opening Saturday of the concert series (4 July), along with newly announced special guests Rita Ora, Kesha and Zara Larsson.
Tickets for Kraftwerk at All Points East go on sale on 6 December at 10 a.m. (GMT). Tickets for Taylor Swift at BST will become available 6 December at 9 a.m. (GMT), with Pearl Jam tickets going on sale on 7 December at 10 a.m. (GMT).
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