UK promoter SSD Concerts has announced the opening line-up for its new Unity Arena near Newcastle.

The 2,500-capacity venue – the first of its kind – ensures social distancing with a “parking-to-platform” system that sees concertgoers arrive by car and then proceed to a dedicated viewing platform located at least 2m from other viewing areas.

Unity Arena will open on 14 August with a DJ set by broadcaster Craig Charles, with the first live concert performance coming courtesy of Two Door Cinema Club the following night.

They are followed Supergrass on Saturday 22 August, Tom Grennan on Thursday 27 August, the Libertines on Saturday 29 August and Maximo Park on Saturday 5 September.

“We’re excited to be working with artists who have the same desire to make something happen during difficult times”

The first slate of programming also includes three comedy performances, from Jason Manford on 30 August and Bill Bailey on both 1 and 2 September.

Steve Davis of SSD Concerts, which – backed by sponsor Virgin Money and production company Engine No 4, is the driving force behind the arena – comments: “We’re excited to be working with artists who have the same desire to make something happen during difficult times for the industry and the general public.

“The rock’n’roll, can-do attitude of the artists performing and the team behind Virgin Money Unity Arena will make these shows ones to remember for the rest of our lives.

“We were determined to make this special, and hopefully today’s line-up is a strong statement of intent. We’re not finished yet and we’ll be announcing yet more acts soon.”

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Poland’s Fest Festival, one of the fastest-growing music festivals in eastern Europe, has announced the first acts for its sophomore edition in 2020.

Fest returns to Silesia Park in Chorzów, near Katowice, next August, growing to three days (13–15 August) for its second outing. In its debut year, the festival is nominated for best new event at the European Festival Awards 2019, and in the New Gig on the Block Category at the ILMC Arthur Awards 2020.

The first line-up announcement for 2020 includes James Bay, Nothing But Thieves, Denzel Curry and Sigrid, as well as Austrian DJ Left Boy/Ferdinand.

One-day tickets and full event passes for Fest Festival 2020, promoted by Follow the Step, are priced at 229 zł (€53) and 349 zł (earlybird; €80) and available from festfestival.pl/bilety.

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All Points East today (19 November) made its first line-up reveal for 2020, announcing Tame Impala as a UK-exclusive headliner on Saturday 23 May.

It will be the Australian psych-pop titans’ only British show of the year, and follow the February release of their fourth studio album, and first in five years, The Slow Rush. The Kevin Parker-led outfit headlined Coachella this April, and followed it up with a headline performance at the O2 in London in June and two sold-out shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden in August.

Tame Impala (pictured) released their latest single, the Supertramp-influenced ‘It Might Be Time’, in October.

Also playing All Points East on 23 May is Canadian composer-producer Caribou, who breaks his silence to perform his first new music in five years, and electro-indie heroes Glass Animals, who similarly returned recently with a new single, ‘Tokyo Drifting’.

Other performers include Whitney, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Kelly Lee Owens and Holy F, with more to be announced.

All Points East is Tame Impala’s only UK show in 2020

The line-up reveal comes as charity Attitude is Everything recognises All Points East for its commitment to accessibility, awarding the festival its ‘silver status’. Fellow AEG Presents-promoted festival, British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park, received the charity’s top gold status accolade earlier this year.

In addition to existing pre-bookable viewing platforms, hearing induction loops, designated entrance lanes and dedicated access customer service teams, All Points East is this year implementing Recite Me software to improve accessibility on its website.

The 40,000-capacity All Points East debuted to a “phenomenal” response in 2018, after AEG was awarded a five-year exclusive on the use of east London’s Victoria Park. It follows a similar format to AEG/Goldenvoice’s successful BST event in Hyde Park, combining two weekends of music with a BST-style free-to-access midweek offering, All Points East In the Neighbourhood.

The 2019 line-up included the Chemical Brothers, Hot Chip and Primal Scream (24 May), the Strokes, the Raconteurs and Interpol (25 May), Christine and the Queens, James Blake and Metronomy (26 May), Bring Me the Horizon and Run the Jewels (31 May), Bon Iver (2 June) and many more.

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