Since its humble inception in 2015, the Lindisfarne Festival has grown into one of the North-East’s – and indeed the UK’s – premier music festivals; with a setting to die for and a line-up that gets better with each passing year. The 2016 festival, featuring such acts as Reef and British Sea Power, made such an impact that it was nominated for Best Small Festival, the Grass Roots Award and most importantly of all, Best Toilets!
Whilst a lot of smaller festivals have perished in the difficult financial climate, Lindisfarne has gone from strength-to-strength and the organisers have pulled together a great line-up of over 100 bands playing across 7 different stages.
You might worry that a music festival means mud, rain and wearing the same clothes all weekend, but Friday night headliners The View have “had the same jeans on four days now” for over a decade and you can be sure that the Scottish indie rockers will be just as on fire as they’ve ever been when they get the real party started in style within the spectacular Northumberland Coast setting.
The Scots will be top of the bill on the Saturday night too, with Glasgow’s The Fratellis whipping up a frenzy with their brand of garage rock and the song that you just can’t help singing along to, ‘Chelsea Dagger’ – another tune that recently celebrated its 10th birthday but sounds just as fresh today as it did upon its initial release. Just like The View, the band has consistently produced great music in the last decade and you can be sure that both will be providing hit-laden sets.
The best festivals are never just about the headliners though, and a whole host of both national and local acts lay in store for the lucky festival-goers. It’s not just bands either, as Huey Morgan, best known for fronting Fun Lovin’ Criminals, will be spinning a DJ set and all you’ll need is your Scooby Snacks to join the party; whilst the legendary Norman Jay MBE will be bringing his Afro-American and disco funk beats to provide a real world music vibe to the occasion.
One of the North-East’s best acts, Smoove&Turrell will undoubtedly be a festival highlight; their soulful social commentary perfect for the difficult times the country is experiencing whilst providing enough infectious dance grooves to be able to forget about all the strife at the same time! With four albums of pure Northern Soul under their belt, you can be sure that this will be one set not to miss this summer.
Another up-and-coming local act are Newcastle’s Talk Like Tigers – utterly unmistakeable and as much a visual treat as musical. The twin sisters have already released some infectious singles like ‘Animalistic’ and ‘Tropical’ and will also be playing NE Volume Magazine Live at ARC, Stockton on September 9th.
Always a great live act, Beth Macari is half Jessica Rabbit, half Aretha Franklin yet her powerful soulful vocals are incomparable. And after appearing on Sky One’s music and comedy TV show, ‘Bring The Noise’, you can expect a fabulous set that will be sure to feature hit singles, ‘Heartstrings’ and ‘Voodoo’ as well as her take on some classic covers.
This is just a pick of the many highlights that will be on show, but you can also expect great sets from the likes of Newcastle’s all-girl alternative rock band Scream Of Sirens, Essex’s folk poet Beans On Toast, the always entertaining Lancashire Hotpots, London rappers Too Many T’s, Celtic folk act The Langan Band, London’s stunning Bryde, the riotous live act that is Backyard Rhythm Orchestra and, well, there’s just too many to mention.
And that’s not all. Because, although far more intimate than the likes of Glastonbury with a 3,500 capacity, the festival prides itself on being an event for all cultures so you can expect live comedy, yoga & meditation classes, holistic therapies, spoken word performances, all forms of arts, culture and entertainment, creative workshops and of course, a wide variety of quality food and drink with quirky food carts, stalls and vans providing high-quality local and organic produce as well as all the ciders and beers you can imagine!
Set in the beautiful surroundings of Beal Farm, Northumberland and overlooking the glorious Holy Island, the 2017 Lindisfarne Festival will run from Thursday 31st August to Sunday 3rd September and there’s a variety of accommodation types to suit all – from standard camping to Glamping for those who require a little more luxury! And did we mention the clean toilets?
For further information about Lindisfarne Festival, including ticket details, please head to lindisfarnefestival.com now.
