Lineup Roundup: Legends At Edinburgh Summer Sessions, Newcomers At The Great Escape, Parklife Massive

Tom Jones, Lionel Richie, Michael Kiwanuka, The 1975, McFly, Simple Minds and Travis are all set to headline the next edition of Edinburgh Summer Sessions, which take place at Princes Street Gardens in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, Aug. 8-20.

Lionel Richie, who is going to take the stage on Aug. 9, gave a statement confirming Scotland’s reputation for having the best fans. He said: “I’m really looking forward to heading back to Scotland next summer, the crowds are some of the best in the world and I can’t wait to get back over there to see you all!”

Simple Minds will be enjoying the home field advantage at their Aug. 18 performance, which is part of the band’s world tour celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr said: “Among the 100 plus shows we have lined up for our upcoming world tour, we are delighted to now be added to the line-up for Edinburgh Summer Sessions.

“No one enjoys playing in Scotland more than we do, and we are sure that Simple Minds fans from far and wide will want to join us for what is set to be a memorable concert in our capital city. We look forward to it immensely!”

All artists, with the exception of Tom Jones, who played Edinburgh Summer Sessions in its inaugural year 2018, perform at the festival for the first time.

Meanwhile, some of the hottest newcomers are among the phase-two lineup of The Great Escape, which takes place in Brighton, England, May 13-16.

The list includes Arlo Parks, Dorian Electra, Porches, Nayana Iz, Rakky Ripper, KOKOKO!, Conjurer, and Bessie Turner, as well as Mercury Award-nominated Ghostpoet and The Jezabels’ Hayley Mary, and many more.

The lineup for TGE 2020 already features artists from 25 countries.

Some 150 artists have now been confirmed for the 16th TGE edition, and most of the daytime conference program has been set as well.

In partnership with Complete Music Update (CMU), TGE is dedicating each day to one topic: music education (May 13), which looks into how future music talent is supported, music and media (May 14), which looks into how consumers are interacting with media and influencers in 2020, as well as global markets (May 15), wich tackles key music markets and emerging ones as well.

Speaking of showcase festivals, Tallinn Music Week, which takes place March 25-29 in the Estonian capital of Tallinn, also announced the first wave of acts.

Performing at the 12th edition of TMW are A Place To Bury Strangers from the U.S., Shortparis (Russia) and Joensuu 1685 (Finland), LUNA (Ukraine), and MODULSHTEIN from Estland. 

The full music program of TMW will be announced Feb. 4

Metropolitan festival Parklife, which takes place at Heaton Park in Manchester, England, June 13-14, has unveiled a massive lineup that includes Tyler, The Creator, Skepta, Lewis Capaldi, Khalid, Giggs and more.

Also set to take one of eight stages at Parklife are Anderson .Paak, Jorja Smith, Robyn, JME’s Grime MC FM, AJ Tracey, Charli XCX, KSI, Peggy Gou, D-Block Europe, Hot Chip, Aitch, and Mabel, as well as EDM royalty Eric Prydz, Carl Cox, and Fatboy Slim. 

Bicep (Live), Four Tet, Nina Kraviz or Honey Dijon have also been confirmed. Promoters The Warehouse Project, which sold a majority stake of its business to LN-Gaiety in 2016, expect some 80,000 visitors per day to attend the 2020 edition of Parklife.

Kendrick Lamar is gracing a lot of European festival with his presence this year. The latest festival to announce the rap star as headliner is Live Nation’s Wireless Germany, which goes down in Frankfurt, July 10-11.

A$AP Rocky, Young Thug, Meek Mill, Roddy Ricch, Apache 207, Tyga, DaBaby, Trettmann, Shindy, Shirin David, KC Rebell & Summer Cem, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, SSIO, Loredana, Mero and Tierra Whack have been confirmed as well.

40,000 people per day are expected to descend on Frankfurt’s Rebstock Park for the festival’s third edition. More artists are to be announced.

While we’re in Germany, let’s take a look at the next 50 names announced for Melt 2020. 

The updated lineup now includes FKA twigs, who’s giving her only German festival performance at Melt 2020.

Also confirmed are Charli XCX, Blood Orange, Loyle Career, Lolo Zouai, Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes, Peggy Gou, Manami, DJ Koze, Little Simz, Arlo Parks, Nightmares On Wax, and many more.

Promoter Goodlive Festival AG confirmed that more artists will be confirmed soon.

Elbjazz in Hamburg, Germany, is considered one of the best festivals for jazz lovers. The next edition takes place June 5-6, and will feature BadBadNotGood and Odissee with his band Good Company.

Other confirmed artists include German up-and-comers Bobby Rausch and Fazer.

Masaa, Chris Botti, Moop Mama, YĪN YĪN, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Michelle David & The Gospel Sessions, Noah Slee, and other have been confirmed, too.

Staying in Europe and with jazz, but moving to neighbouring Switzerland, we take a look at the latest announcement from Montreux Jazz Festival, which takes place July 3-18.

Pollstar cover star Brittany Howard will return to Montreux Jazz Festival, following two performances with her band Alabama Shakes in 2012 and 2015.

Howard will open for Lionel Richie on Wednesday, July 8. 

Rock star Lenny Kravitz will be joined by Grammy-nominated new soul sensation, and recent Pollstar Hotstar Black Pumas on Monday, July 13.

It’s a big year for festival anniversaries, and one of them is celebrated by North Sea Jazz Festival, which celebrates its 45th edition, July 9-12, at Rotterdam Ahoy, The Netherlands.

John Legend will open the festival on July 9, while Alicia Keys, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie will headline on the following days.

Over the course of three days, Jill Scott, Little Simz, Michael Kiwanuka, Yola, Pollstar Hotstar Ari Lennox, Black Pumas, Gregory Porter, Herbie Hancock and many more are set to take the stage.

Check out Pollstar‘s interview with Kim Bloem, one of Mojo’s head bookers and responsible for a large chunk of the program of North Sea Jazz Festival below.

Returning to the U.K., we take a look at Moseley Folk & Arts Festival, which will welcome a mix of the next generation and international headliners to the festival’s 15th anniversary in Birmingham, England, Sept. 4-6.

Gruff Rhys, Stephen Duffy and Claire Duffy of The Lilac Time, Katy J Pearson, Brigid Mae Powers, Pavey Ark and Annie Dressner join the already announced Passenger.

They will all perform on Saturday, Sept. 5. Many more artists are to be announced.

Bombay Bicycle Club, Bonobo (DJ) and Four Tet are among the latest announcement from Lost Village, which takes place Aug. 27-30 in Lincolnshire, U.K.

Kojey Radical, Floating Points, Honey Dijon, Django Django, Ross From Friends, The Big Moon, and Dixon have been confirmed as well, as have rising stars such as  India Jordan, TSHA, Arlo Parks and Eris Drew.

The festival also boasts a comedy stage that will feature Katherine Ryan, Joe Lycett, Angela Barnes & Joel Dommett on the current bill.

Slam Dunk Festival, which takes place in the north and south of England over two days, May 23-24, also announced names.

The list includes While She Sleeps, Code Orange, Doll Skin, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, U.S. rockers A, [Spunge], Popes Of Chillitown, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, and The Suicide Machines. 

They join Face To Face, The Vandals, Reel Big Fish, Pennywise, NOFX, Sum41, Don Bronco, Billy Talent, and more that have already been announced.

The northern edition of Slam Dunk Festival takes place May 23 at Temple Newsam Park in Leeds, the southern event takes place May 24 at Hatfield Park in Hatfield.