Music Festivals
in Leicester, Leicestershire and the East Midlands
our pick of the music festivals coming up in 2015 in the East Midland
A tribute to the great bands
Glastonbudget – read our report
The music in Leicester team was at Glastonbudget and have prepared four pages of coverage.
This year’s festivals in date order
May
1st to 3rd May
Read our report on the Handmade Festival
June
6th & 7th June
Riverside Festival
Read our report on the Riverside Festival 2015
12th to 14th June
Download
Read our report on Download 2015 (coming soon)
See our page promo-ing Download 2015
Music in Leicester magazine had a media team at Download to bring you the highlights and photos.
20th to 21st June
Foxton Locks Festival
July
4th July
Western Park Festival
Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July 2015
Simon Says …
Simon Says… 2015 festival headliners announced
British Sea Power and Alabama 3 take top slots
MORE than 100 bands combining the very best local acts and national talent will be taking to the stage this summer at Leicester’s newest home-grown music festival. De Montfort Hall & Gardens will host the third Simon Says…festival on July 25 and 26, which will be headlined by indie rockers British Sea Power and electronic/rock crossover legends Alabama 3. The event, which was first staged in 2013 as part of the Hall’s centenary celebrations, transforms the hall and its picturesque grounds into a perfect place to relax with friends, listen to the sounds of good music, and enjoy great food and drink. British Sea Power can count David Bowie and Jarvis Cocker among their big-name fans. Famed for their live performances, the band are due to release their latest album Sea of Brass later this month, as well as re-releasing their classic 2003 album The Decline of British Sea Power later this summer.
Alabama 3 shot to fame with their track Woke Up This Morning, which was used as the theme music for hit US gangster series The Sopranos. They’ve been dubbed ‘the best live band in the country’ and are sure to put on a raucous show worthy of their headline status.
This year’s Simon Says… line-up will also include the summery 70s sounds of Hyde & Beast, bourbon-soaked growl of The Urban Voodoo Machine, and mod / ska anthems from The Moderators.
Local Jamaican ska and reggae merchants El Pussycat will also take to the stage, as well as new Leicester band Ex Comets, roots/reggae from Tann-I Browne and the Ankh Band, and a crowd-pleasing blend of gypsy rhythms and folk storytelling from The Brandy Thieves.
Former Happy Mondays guitarist Kav Sandhu will also perform is his solo incarnation as Kav, while Goldwater will bring their unique brand of wild, energetic blues rock to the festival, and Clubs will fill the stage with their huge sound combining flavours of U2, Foals and Kings of Leon.
Gaz Birtles, festival programmer and saxophone player for The South, which headlined Simon Says… in 2014, said: “This is one of the few festivals where you can hang out with your friends, family and local community while listening to an unprecedented range of bands which represent the best of local, regional and national music.”
Once again, BBC Introducing will be presenting some of the newer, rising artists from Leicester. Dean Jackson who presents The Beat – the BBC Introducing programme on BBC Radio Leicester said “Simon Says has quickly established itself as a pivotal event in the local music calendar. Its values and aims correspond with those of BBC introducing and I am delighted to have been associated with the festival from the outset. It is a thrill to see the local venues pool their expertise across a range of genres and co-operate to produce such an exciting event.”
As well as promising music for every taste, Simon Says… features a selection of thirst-quenching bars selling everything from cocktails to real ales and ciders, varied craft and food stalls, and a children’s activity area for younger visitors.
Tickets for Simon Says… are on sale now. Weekend tickets at special advance purchase prices, cost £30 for adults, £20 for students, £10 for under 16s and £7.50 for under 10s. Under-5s get in free but still need to book a ticket.
Find out more about Simon Says… on the De Montfort Hall website.
31st July to 2nd August
Y Not Festival
More artists announced! Super Furry Animals, Public Service Broadcasting, Deaf Havana and more added…
We have the pleasure of dishing out 31 new acts for our 10th anniversary year including Welsh indie all-stars Super Furry Animals, the immersive duo Public Service Broadcasting and UK Rock Chart-toppers Deaf Havana.
See the Y Not Festival website.
August
6th to 9th August
Bloodstock
7th & 8th August
Strawberry Fields Festival
Join the events page on Facebook
City Festival
We believe there will be another City Festival in 2015. This will include the Mela.
Details to follow. In the meantime see Visit Leicester website.
September
5th September
Leicester Gay Pride
Sam Bailey will be the big attraction at this year’s Leicester Pride.
October
Oxjam
The Oxjam Festivals take place in October both in Leicester and throughout the East Midlands.
See the national Oxjam website.
November
Abbey Park Fireworks
Close to bonfire night, this event attracts a huge crowd and often has a music stage with live artists.
See our report on the Abbey Park Fireworks show in 2013.
December
See our report on the White Noise festival 2015
See also:
The home page for the Festivals Section of this magazine
