As I sit writing this in a hot office I can’t help but imagine that there are thousand’s of fingers crossed across Nottingham that this beautiful weather will stick around for Saturday. For many the reason will be that this weekend marks the return of the city’s biggest music festival SPLENDOUR and the weather is just about the only thing organisers DHP Family have no control over.
The stuff they do control however they have, as ever, done a bang up job with once again putting together a must attend family friendly festival with music, entertainment and kids rides all part of the mix.
As ever Splendour takes place in the beautiful surroundings of Wollaton Park with the stages sitting in the shadows of the park’s majestic Great Hall, you really couldn’t ask for a better place for such an event and given the festival has sold out in advance it seems thousand’s across Nottingham – and beyond – agree.
The line up, once again, manages to blend big name performers with some of the best local talent offering a great platform for Nottingham acts to play on such a huge stage and win an army of new fans. This is especially true of Future Sound of Nottingham winners Super Furniture who will open the main stage. The band only formed late last year but have wasted no time in making their mark wowing judges at Rock City to see off a hugely strong line-up to earn their spot on the Splendour stage. This is a huge moment for the band and we’re sure they’ll be relishing every moment.
Fellow Nottingham performer Ady Suleiman will also be taking to the main stage on Saturday. The Grantham born performer has seen his latest track ‘Running Away’ added to the BBC Radio 1 playlist and has been winning fans across the country thanks to his infectious voice. If you haven’t seen Ady play yet then we suggest you remedy that Saturday.
The main stage will also see performances by two of the biggest bands of the 80’s in the shape of The Human League and UB40, no doubt those of a more mature age will be looking forward to seeing two such iconic bands take to the Wollaton Park stage to blast out some of the classics they have recorded in over thirty years, each, of performing.
Also playing on the main stage will be Turin Brakes, Jeremy Loops and Jamie Lawson while singer/songwriter Jess Glynne, back after having to pull out of last year’s festival late on, will be bringing the curtain down on this year’s festival.
There are few bands in Nottingham that have received quite as much love as Eyre Llew over the last year or so, and it’s easy to see why, with their ambient rock sounds they’ve won fans wherever they have played and we’re sure they’ll win a load more when they open the Confetti stage on Saturday.
Formerly known as NOAH, These Your Children are a Nottingham duo with a unique and distinctive sound, having played the likes of Dot to Dot and Great Escape already this year they’ll be more than ready to step on to the Confetti stage at this year’s Splendour Festival.
Headlining the Confetti stage will be a band that can, perhaps, be best described as being divisive. Whether you love them or hate them there is no denying that The Darkness made a huge impact thanks to their break out hit ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’, tumultuous years followed with fallout’s and break ups, but they’re back doing what they do best and we imagine they’ll have Wollaton Park rocking when they take to the stage late on Saturday.
The Fratellis are, without doubt, best known for their huge hit ‘Chelsea Dagger’ a song that has become something of a dance floor favourite – and seems to be a popular goal celebration track at football grounds – we also imagine there will be few songs that elicit as a big a reaction from the crowd this weekend.
The Confetti stage will also see performances from Stiff Little Fingers, The Rifles and Louis Berry.
The Acoustic Rooms stage – which can be found within the courtyard area, has become the place to catch some of the best up and coming Nottingham talents with the likes of Jake Bugg, Indiana, Saint Raymond and Georgie all having played it in the past, and this year is no different.
Mansfield singer Brad Dear will be headlining the stage with his folky punk rock sounds, they’ll be acoustic bliss from the likes of Tom McCartney, Ellie Keegan, Josh Wheatley and John Olley, electronic pop from Lowrie and ace hip-hop tracks from Bru-C, plus a blend of music and poetry from Raphael Blake as well as a set from Will Varley, the only none Notts act on that stage.
It’s not just about the music at Splendour though, as ever there will be the Funhouse Comedy Stage in the courtyard as well as the Fringe Stage where you can catch the likes of Mrs Green, The Edi Johnston Bit and magician Daniel Dore.
As ever there will also be a fairground area and plenty of stalls plus a huge Kids Zone and a chill out area, so as ever there will be plenty for you to check out.
As we already mentioned the festival is totally sold out so we hope you already have tickets, if you do make sure to tune in to NG Digital at 5pm Wednesday 20 July for a special Splendour Festival Preview Show – don’t worry if you can’t catch it then it’ll be available for catch up afterwards. Head over to www.ng-digital.co.uk
All that is left is to keep those fingers crossed for a sunny day.
By Darren Patterson
@pogester
Why not check out:
Splendour Line-Up Just Got Bigger with Over 20 New Acts Announced Wollaton Park, Nottingham, Saturday 20 July 2019
Splendour: One Month Countdown Underway for Splendour Wollaton Park, Nottingham Saturday 20 July 2019
Splendour Set Times Announced + Indiana joins line up
Splendour: The Vamps, Rick Astley, Sleeper, Becky Hill and More Join Supergrass, James and Belinda Carlisle at Splendour Wollaton Park, Nottingham Saturday 18 July 2020