Festivals ’24: Tomorrowland, Parklife, Afro Nation

Tomorrowland, Kendal Calling, Parklife and Afro Nation Portugal are among the latest raft of major festivals to drop their 2024 lineup announcements.

The 20th anniversary of Tomorrowland Belgium will take place in De Schorre over two weekends from 19-21 and 26-28 July. Held 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 addition, Paradise City Festival has confirmed Bonobo, Marlon Hoffstadt, Maribou State and Lola Haro B2B Marcel Dettmann between 28-30 June at Ribaucourt Castle, Perk, Belgium. Organisers are also introducing a a seventh stage, dedicated entirely to chill-out, downtempo and ambient performance.

Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj, Dadju & Tayc and Lisandro Cuxi have been added to Afro Nation Portugal, joining the likes of Rema, Asake, J Hus, Tyla, Ninho, Omah Lay, Major League DJZ, Uncle Waffles and Focalistic on Portimao beach on 28-30 June.

The second wave of names also includes Musa Keys, MFR Souls, Ch’cco, Yumbs,Tango Supreme, Tman Express, Sfarzo Rtee, Nicky Summers and Brooke Bailey.

“We have the perfect ingredients for a fantastically celebratory weekend”

The UK’s Kendal Calling has announced five headliners for its return to Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District from 1-4 August. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Paolo Nutini, The Streets, Paul Heaton with guest singer Rianne Downey, and Keane top the lineup, which will also feature a unique DJ set by The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess and retired footballer Gary Neville.

Sugababes, Declan McKenna, The Reytons, The Snuts, Kate Nash, Pale Waves, Katy B, CMAT, Lottery Winners and Heather Small also join the bill. More than 60% of tickets have already been sold ahead of Monday’s general sale.

“After the week we have had, bring on the summer,” says Kendal Calling co-founder Andy Smith. “It is with much joy and excitement we share with you the biggest Kendal Calling lineup to date. From the incredible Paolo Nutini closing the Sunday night and Keane, Sugababes, Paul Heaton & Rianne Downey and Katy B gracing our fields for the first time, joined by old friends Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds and The Streets closing the Friday and Saturday night respectively, we have the perfect ingredients for a fantastically celebratory weekend.”

Manchester’s Parklife on 8-9 June will star Doja Cat, Disclosure, J Hus, Kaytranada, Becky Hill, Peggy Gou, Four Tet, Anne-Marie, Sugababes, Camelphat and previously announced European exclusive debut of Fisher & Chris Lake present Under Construction.

The Heaton Park event will also feature Digga D, Mahalia, Rudim3ntal, Nia Archives, Hybrid Minds, Patrick Topping, Barry Can’t Swim, Folamour, Dom Dolla, CASISDEAD, Wilkinson, Shy FX: Specials, Interplanetary Criminal, Sammy Virji b2b Interplanetary Criminal, Kenya Grace, ANOTR, PAWSA, TSHA, Girls Don’t Sync, Max Dean, Hedex, Bou, Uncle Waffles, Skream, Jyoty, Loco Dice and Sub Focus, among others. Early bird tickets rapidly sold out after the introduction of a “festival-first” reduction on ticket prices in December 2023.

“We’ve built up such a beautiful community from the people who put the festival together, the artists who perform on our stages and the people who come along”

Truck Festival will be headlined by Jamie T, Wet Leg, The Streets and Idles. Set for Hill Farm, Oxfordshire, other acts will include The Kooks, Declan McKenna, Yard Act, Holly Humberstone, Sea Girls, Black Honey, Peace, The Snuts, Soft Play, The Mysterines, Sundara Karma, English Teacher, The Magic Gang, Willie J Healey and Bob Vylan.

“When we sit down to plan Truck every year, we treat the weekend like the ultimate summer party – complete with friends, amazing moments and the artists we love all in one place,” says head of marketing Sam Harris. “To welcome long-awaited headliners like Jamie T and The Streets to Hill Farm is a true honour, whilst having Wet Leg headline their very first festival with us is going to make for a very special weekend.”

The Vaccines, Future Islands, Lankum Jockstrap, Ash, Caity Baser, CMAT, The Darkness, Waxahatchee, Corinne Bailey Rae, David Ducovony, BC Camplight, Marika Hackman, and Baby Queen are among 25 new music additions to the Latitude bill.
Duran Duran, Kasabian, Keane, London Grammar and Sara Pascoe headline the event in Henham Park, Suffolk from 25-28 July.

Love Saves the Day will return to Bristol’s Ashton Court on 25-26 26 May, headed by CamelPhat, The Streets, Rudimental and Sub Focus present Evolve. Other confirmed names include Girls Don’t Sync, Shy FX: Specials, Wilkinson, Groove Armada, Ben Hemsley, Hedex, Bou, Eliza Rose, Shanti Celeste and Saoirse.

“We are always honoured to kickstart the festival season with Love Saves the Day,” says festival director Tom Paine. “We’ve built up such a beautiful community from the people who put the festival together, the artists who perform on our stages and the people who come along every year for a good time – it’s absolutely amazing, and we can’t wait to be back at Ashton Court for 2024.”

“When we’re thinking about our bookings, the line-up has always been put together with the fans at the core of our decision-making”

Placebo and James Arthur are the latest additions to Bristol Sounds – joining Skindred, The Breeders, Gentleman’s Dub Club and The Skints which runs from 22-30 June. The harbourside concert series has expanded from five days to seven for 2024.

“Bristol Sounds is fundamentally a festival for the people of Bristol, and each year we like to curate a programme that will catch the attention of everyone and anyone,” says promoter Conal Dodds of Crosstown Concerts. “It’s such an eclectic mix of genres and gigs, you’re guaranteed to have a great time. When we’re thinking about our bookings, the line-up has always been put together with the fans at the core of our decision-making, and we can’t wait to watch the crowd’s reactions as their favourite artists take to the most incredible stage in the city.”

Skepta has revealed the full lineup for the inaugural Big Smoke Festival, the new one-day music event heading to Crystal Palace Park on 6 July.

The grime MC has curated two stages personally and will headline the Big Smoke stage with his only UK performance of 2024. He will be joined by The Streets, Mahalia, JME, Lancey, K-Trap, Odumodublvck, The Den featuring Frisco, Flowdan, Sir Spyro, Infamousizak, Manga, Thafirst and a special guest to be announced. The Más Tiempo Stage will see sets from the likes of Loco Dice, Uncle Waffles, Syreeta and Kitty Amor.

And Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in North Wales will feature Bryan Adams, Simple Minds, Paloma Faith, Kaiser Chiefs, Jess Glynne, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Madness, Paloma Faith, Tom Jones, Gregory Porter, Katherine Jenkins and Manic Street Preachers & Suede between 18 June-13 July.

“At long last, we’re thrilled to bring Doja Cat to Roskilde Festival”

Denmark’s Roskilde, set for 29 June-6 July, has unveiled Doja Cat as part of its lineup. The rapper was due to play to play the festival in 2020, prior to the onset of the pandemic.

“At long last, we’re thrilled to bring Doja Cat to Roskilde Festival,” says head of programme Anders Wahrén. “In 2020, she was a star in the making, and in the meantime, she has arguably become the most hyped and popular rapper in the world. The years of waiting to bring her here is finally coming to an end.”

Alongside previously confirmed acts such as Foo Fighters, Kali Uchis, Skrillex, and PJ Harvey, Roskilde has added Ice Spice, J Hus, Jane’s Addiction, Jungle, Khruangbin, Brutalismus 3000, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Lankum, Medina and Nia Archives (UK), to name a few.

Elsewhere in Denmark, Camila Cabello, Janelle Monáe, Beth Hart and MØ have bolstered the Tinderbox bill, which already boasts the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Future Rave aka David Guetta and MORTEN, Bryan Adams, RAYE, Avril Lavigne, Kaizers Orchestra, and James Arthur. Tinderbox takes place in Odense from 27-29 June.

“We’re very excited to be able to present Camila Cabello in Denmark for the first time,” says festival booker Nikoline Skaarup. “She’s been part of shaping the global pop scene of today and bringing new music traditions into pop culture with a string of irresistible releases. Janelle Monáe too has constantly been pushing the limits for popular culture and throughout their career shed light on important cultural and social issues while crafting some of the best music we’ve heard.

“To be able to present these two artists alongside Beth Hart and MØ – who’ve also been and still are voices of their generations – makes it a very rewarding day to be a festival booker.”

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Truck Festival 2019 announces first wave of acts

From 25–28 July, Truck Festival will return to Hill Farm in Steventon, Oxfordshire, for the 22nd edition of the UK’s longest-running small festival.

This year Truck will welcome local legends Foals back to Hill Farm, 12 years on from their last appearance at the festival where they played a show in the Barn that has “gone down in Truck folklore”, according to organiser Matt Harrap.

Harrap comments: “We’re extremely excited to announce our first wave of artists for this year’s show. Returning hometown heroes Foals is the icing on the cake – we’re over the moon to have them for their first Oxfordshire show in five years and their first at Truck since pre-[2008 album] Antidotes. Having artists of the calibre of Two Door Cinema Club and Wolf Alice also coming to headline the event after many years of asking is truly humbling and their sets will no doubt live long in the memory.”

Last year Truck opened its doors for the first ever time on the Thursday, with Peace treating early punters to an electric performance on the Market Stage. This time round, firm festival favourites Slaves will be headlining the opening night, with Wolf Alice headlining on Friday and Foals Saturday.

“With ticket sales well ahead of this time last year, we really recommend not hanging around”

Closing Truck Festival are indie giants Two Door Cinema Club – who, like Foals and Slaves, have previously played the festival – and now return for a headline performance.

Also performing are pop-punk royalty You Me At Six, recent Brit nominees Idles, indie-pop singer Kate Nash, south London five-piece Shame and indie veterans the Futureheads.

As ever, the festival also welcomes a host of local bands. “We have brilliant up and coming local talent such as Lacuna Common and Self Help,” explains Harrap. “Mix in the likes of You Me at Six, Nothing But Thieves and Shame and […] we’ve got a real party. With ticket sales well ahead of this time last year, we really recommend not hanging around!”

The first wave of acts for Truck Festival 2019, which takes place from 26 to 28 July 2019, can be viewed in full on the Truck Festival website.

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The New Bosses 2017: round two

After shining the spotlight on (in no particular order) our first four New Bosses – Anna-Sophie Mertens, Zoe Swindells, Ryan Penty and Andrés Guanipa – last month, the next instalment of IQ’s New Bosses 2017 features three more live music industry leaders of the future.

Read on to get to know CAA’s Summer Marshall, Truck Festival’s Matt Harrap and AEG Presents’ Connie Shao…

Summer Marshall

Agent, CAA (UK)
Age: 30

Summer is based in CAA’s London office, where she has been instrumental in strategically building the international touring profiles of such artists as Sam Smith, who has headlined arenas around the world, including a massive sold-out Australian tour. Summer is active in a number of industry collectives, including the UK Music Futures Group, and is a member of the BRIT Awards voting academy.

Do you think you were always destined for a career in music?
While I once daydreamed of being a professional skydiver, I followed my passion for music. I love being an agent. And some might argue it’s just as thrilling.

Who do you turn to for advice?
I am fortunate to work with an inspirational group of colleagues. Emma Banks, Mike Greek and Paul Wilson, in particular, are three exceptionally wise and wonderful people.

And as a New Boss, what advice would you give anyone who wanted to follow the agency route into the business?
Humanise your approach. We are all in this together to support the artist.

As a New Boss, is there any practice that you would like to change, or introduce, to improve the way the business is done?
I would encourage everyone to make more phone calls. Establishing a personal connection goes a long way in building and sustaining a relationship. Plus, one call can be more effective and efficient than a string of emails.

If you had to choose one highlight from your career, so far, what would it be?
Being part of writing Sam Smith’s extraordinary story.

Matt Harrap

Event manager, Truck Festival (UK)
Age: 26

While studying at the University of Portsmouth, Matt and some friends set-up a club night that showcased new acts and local talent. During this period he was approached by the founder of Southsea Fest and asked to help run the event’s social channels. This in turn led to an internship at Count of Ten, which by year two saw him elevated to the position of event manager at Truck Festival at the age of just 23.

What advice would you give to anyone hoping to find a career in the live music business?
It’s nowhere near as glamorous as people tell you. You have to be prepared to really work hard. You need conviction in what you believe in – but, most importantly, you need to be willing to listen to feedback from those attending events.

What’s your proudest achievement to date?
It’s pretty lame, but every year at Truck watching the audience go crazy. It makes me feel very proud of what we as a team have done.

And what about the challenges?
Tight budgets and artist exclusivity. I’ve learned you have to be creative to make budgets last, and in selecting artists you believe the audience will love.

Who do you turn to for advice?
I’ve been really lucky to work with great people since the age of 18, including my old bosses from Count Of Ten, people I used to run nights with at university, the whole team that work on Truck and the wider team at Broadwick Live, who have a vast experience of running awesome events.

As a New Boss, is there any practice that you would like to change or introduce, to improve the way the business is done?
Remove red tape; it completely stifles creativity.

Connie Shao

Promoter, AEG Presents (CN)
Age: 27

While studying at the University of Southern California, Connie worked as college promoter, programming and producing concerts for 15,000 undergraduate students while also working an internship at Epitaph Records. Post-uni, she landed a job at ICM, working in domestic and international bookings, then in 2014 moved to Shanghai to join the Asia-Pacific office of AEG Presents.

What are your language skills like?
I grew up speaking both English and Chinese; however, I have a lot more to learn in Chinese reading and writing.

What are the biggest challenges about working in Asia?
There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to touring in Asia – it’s a fine balance between establishing consistency across the region while maintaining the unique distinctions of each market. Putting on a 12-date tour means working in 12 vastly different countries, 12 currencies, 12 ticketing companies and so on.

What do you see yourself doing in five years’ time?
I’d love to continue expanding and developing the Asia touring region – we’re starting to see tours go to more markets, also new markets, and doing record-breaking ticket sales. There’s also great potential for global festival brands to launch with a tailored approach in many Asian markets.

As a New Boss, is there any practice that you would like to change or introduce, to improve the way the business is done?
I would encourage artists to maintain a presence in Asia beyond the touring cycle. It’s so important to develop and nurture the fan base in these markets, which touch half the world’s population.

The remaining three New Bosses will be profiled in future editions of IQ’s Index newsletter. Alternatively, read the feature in full now in the digital edition of IQ 73:

“Changes in the industry” force BSTK cancellation

Boutique British festival Brownstock is to close after 12 years.

Brownstock (BSTK), which had been held at Morris Farm in Chelmsford, Essex – close to the V Festival site – since 2005, was programmed by IME Music and promoted by London-based Count of Ten, which last month sold its Y Not and Truck Festivals to the Global group.

No line-up had yet been announced for the 2017 festival. Tinie Tempah, Mark Ronson and Kelis headlined in 2016.

“After 12 years of incredible music, amazing people and the best memories, it is with heavy hearts that we have made the difficult decision to shut the farm gates and no longer hold BSTK Festival,” festival management said today.

“Due to changes in the industry we can no longer deliver the event we set out to create”

“Due to changes in the industry we can no longer deliver the event we set out to create and that we feel you deserve.

“We will cherish the memories you have all helped us create, as we hope you will too. We will always be proud of what you all helped us to create and the cultural influence in the local area, without your support there wouldn’t have been a festival.”

Ticketholders for BSTK 2017 will be refunded.

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