Features
UK Festival Update: Pilots, Floods & Future Prospects
King/PA Images via Getty Images – Wolf Alice headline the Obelisk Arena at Latitude festival 2021.
Some 40,000 people are reported to have attended the event in Henham Park,, Suffolk, England, July 22-25.
The UK lifted most remaining restrictions on social gatherings on July 19. While this decision comes too late for most of the country’s festivals, there are still numerous events that went or will go ahead.
Latitude Festival opened its gate to some 40,000 guests at Henham Park, on the coast of Suffolk, England, June 22-25, headlined by Damon Albarn, Wolf Alice, Rudimental and The Chemical Brothers.
The event was part of the UK government’s Events Research Programme (ERP), which evaluates the risk of a wide range of event genres and venues. Guests were required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test or proof of natural immunity to enter.
Another 40,000-cap festival taking place across the same weekend was selected to take part in the program, Tramlines in Sheffield. The Streets, Royal Blood, Supergrass, Dizzee Rascal, Blossoms, The Kooks, Jake Bugg, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Mahalia, and many more adorned the bill, July 23-25.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images – Fans enjoying Royal Blood during day two of Tramlines Festival 2021.
The Sheffield event was part of the UK government’s Events Research Programme.
Local talent from Sheffield included The Reytons, Lucy Spraggan, and Rumbi Tauro. The Streets frontman Mike Skinner popped a bottle of champagne on stage in celebration of crowds coming together again.
Entry restrictions for Tramlines were the same as for Latitude, as for virtually all events taking place at the moment. The research findings will be made available by the government soon.
The first phase of events taking part in the program showed no substantial outbreaks, which chimes with the experience of most promoters that were lucky enough to carry out their respective events in these past 18 months.
Latitude promoter Festival Republic also promotes two other UK flagship events, Reading and Leeds festivals. Both announced they would be going ahead as soon as the government published its roadmap out of lockdown back in March. It didn’t matter that the final lifting of restrictions got delayed by a month in the end, as the twin events take place Aug. 27-29.
Stormzy, Post Malone and Liam Gallagher lead a bill that also boasts Mabel, AJ Tracey, Two Door Cinema Club, Queens of the Stone Age, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Sigrid, The Hunna and many more.
Ticket holders will have to provide either of the following to enter the festival grounds, Little Johns Farm in Reading or Bramham Park in Leeds, respectively: “Proof of full vaccination – both doses received (with the second at least 14 days prior to the festival) or proof of a negative NHS Lateral Flow Test taken prior to travel on the day of arrival at the festival or proof of natural immunity based upon a positive PCR test within 180 days of the festival (including 10 days self-isolation following the result),” according to the promoter.
Lorne Thomson/Redferns – Maisie Peters performs during Standon Calling 2021 on July 25, 2021 in Standon, England.
Promoters had to cancel the last evening due to heavy storms.
Standon Calling in Hertfordshire also took place across the weekend, July 22-25, with a full capacity of 15,000 people, but not as part of the ERP. Bastille Reorchestrated, Mahalia, Everything Everything, Hot Chip, Maribou State, and Akala led a diverse lineup of many more artist.
Primal Scream, Craig David, and De La Soul and more were also scheduled to take the main stage, but never got to perform. Promoters canceled the Sunday evening due to heavy storms that swept over the UK and flooded the festival site.
Last mont, the UK’s Association of Independent Festivals put out an estimate, stating that more than half the country’s festivals with a capacity of more than 5,000 had to cancel their 2021 editions.
The lack of any government-backed insurance scheme for events forced to cancel due to government restrictions made it hard for promoters to plan ahead. On the bright side, there are still several independent and major events that are going ahead.
Rory James – All Points East festival features a mid-week program for the local community called In The Neighbourhood.
It is realised in collaboration with Tower Hamlets Council, which is responsible for Victoria Park, where APE takes place.
All Points East moved from its usual May date to August, when the festival will take place at London’s Victoria Park, Aug. 27-30. The lineup features London Grammar, Jorja Smith, Jamie XX, Lianne La Havas, Kano, Mahalia, Celeste, Sons of Kemet, Loyle Carner, Caribou, Foals, Bombay Bicycle Club and many more.
The festival just announced a collaboration with BBC 6 Music. The radio station will be APE’s broadcast partner and host a stage where some of the station’s best-loved DJs will curate their own lineup.
Jim King, CEO of European Festivals at AEG Presents, promoter of APE, commented, “We’ve always been huge fans of BBC Radio 6 Music and they have been fantastic supporters of All Points East since our beginnings in 2018. So it is a real pleasure to announce them as our broadcast partner and welcome the 6music Stage for our 2021 event. With the brilliant Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft and Mary Anne Hobbs curating the line ups, it’s going to be a spectacular addition to our weekend of music and we can’t wait for the August Bank Holiday Weekend.”
Slam Dunk Festival, which comprises two separate events in the north and south of England, confirmed Sum41, Don Bronco, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Alkaline Trio Funeral For A Friend, While She Sleeps, Comeback Kid, The Story So Far, We Are The In Crowd and NOFX.
The North edition will go down at Temple Newsam in Leeds, Sept. 4, while Slam Dunk South takes place in Hatfield Park, Hertfordshire the day after, Sept. 5. Like APE, for instance, Slam Dunk Festival moved its original May dates to September this year.
Courtesy of Labyrinth – A scenic concert location if there ever was one.
Tofte Manor in Bedfordshire, England.
While the inaugural edition of the one-day Labyrinth Open Air is still good to go on Aug. 7, promoters were forced to cancel international guests due to coronavirus travel restrictions. The event now celebrates Britains diverse electronic music scene with an exclusively British line-up that features the likes of Maribou State, Floating Points, Jungle, Fred Again, Elder Island, Josey Rebelle, Nabihah Iqbal, Anu, and more.
The event takes place on Tofte Manor, a new open air venue in the scenic UK countryside, a one-and-a-half-hour drive from London, or 35 minutes on the train. The venue is promoted exclusively by Labyrinth events. For the inaugural edition of Labyrinth open air acclaimed designer Tom Dixon OBE will design a stage, which will stay permanently at Tofte Hall.
Another one-day event in London, YAM Carnival, just announced the addition of Beenie Man, who is set to perform his first UK show in over a decade, Aug. 28. The lineup also features Ari Lennox, Kehlani, Koffee, Neo, Honey Dijon, Davido and many more.
Two brand-new UK city festivals are also still on schedule: Summer of Love in Manchester, Aug. 21-22, and Pitchfork Music Festival London, Nov. 10-14. Read more about both events here.