Festival in Focus: Parklife Weekender, Manchester
It's 19°C in Leeds today! 19°C! In Leeds! I've never heard of such madness. Summer is certainly upon us, and of course that means the start of the festival season up and down the country. From Southampton to Sunderland people will be breaking out the tents and deck chairs and swanning off to spend four days in an enclosed space with thousands of people they don't know - and aren't we excited about that!
However, we couldn't go all out from the beginning with, say, Glastonbury, so we need a few warm-ups to get people in the mood. Something festival-y enough to put a smile on everyone's face, but homely enough that people can waddle back to a room with air conditioning and running water when the day's festivities are done. Something a bit like Parklife, in fact.
Located on Platt Fields in the student-centric Fallowfield area of Manchester, Parklife might just be the hippest new festival on the block. Back for a second year after a roaring success in 2010, they've packed out the line-up with treats from all areas of the musical spectrum. It's definitely one for fans of blipps and bloops - the selection of soundsystem acts is stellar - but, with a healthy sprinkling of Good Old British Bands, guitar-lovers won't be left wanting either. The Saturday (11th June) brings a main stage lineup that includes Two Door Cinema Club, Katy B, Kelis and Everything Everything, while the Sunday boasts Chase & Status, Annie Mac, Skream & Benga and a DJ set from Mark Ronson. Tasty.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL. Oh no, the main stage is merely the tip of the harmonic iceberg. The support stages at times boast a roster of artists that rival the main stage not just here, but any main stage you'll encounter over the festival season. The Saturday alone brings the delights of Boyz Noize, Fake Blood, Doom, Hercules & Love Affair, Jamie xx, Simian Mobile Disco, a live set from Sub Focus, Spank Rock, Kode9, Andy C - yeah, it's a strong one. Sunday boasts Mystery Jets, Metronomy, Egyptian Hip Hop, 2manydjs, Erol Alkan, DJ Shadow, Hudson Mohawke, Grandmaster Flash etc etc. There's also a truckload of local djs thrown in to keep the party going long into the night, with afterparties being organised by the ruckus-bringing Drop the Mustard and Take the Whole Cake.
Standard weekend tickets have unfortunately sold out, as have Saturday-only passes, but other options are available. Hospitality tickets are available for not much more expensive and come with a cheeky private bar, and Sunday-only passes are still on sale. If you're running low on cash (or are just a mean little bugger) but still want to join in the fun, afterparty tickets are available for each of the days and priced very reasonably indeed. Really, what's stopping you?
For more information and to buy tickets, go to http://parklife.uk.com