Nikki

FESTIVAL FRIDAY – FEMALE ARTISTS TAKING CENTRE STAGE AT FESTIVALS THIS SUMMER

This #festivalfriday is all about #femaleartists. Check out our guide to female artists worth checking at the biggest festivals in Europe this summer.

P!NK - SZIGET FESTIVAL
Since her debut in 2000, P!nk (Alecia Moore) has released seven records, sold over 60 million albums, over 130 million singles, over 2.4 million DVDs worldwide and has had 14 singles in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (four at #1). In addition, she is the recipient of three GRAMMY(r) Awards, three Billboard Music Awards, six MTV Video Music Awards, two MTV Europe Awards, two People's Choice Awards and was named Billboard's "Woman of the Year" in 2013.  Her The Truth About Love World Tour played 142 shows in 13 countries.  P!nk's August 9th show at Sziget marks a big return to the concert stage!

Proud winner of the ‘Best Major European Festival’ award in 2015 and 2011, and ‘Best Festival Line Up’ in 2016, Sziget Festival is one of the biggest multicultural events of Europe. Taking place on the picturesque Óbuda Island in Budapest, Sziget welcomes over 490,000 visitors from over 100 countries to express themselves on their self-proclaimed Island of Freedom.  Sziget is not just about music, with more than 50 program venues offering festival goers the chance to experience many different things including; circus, theatre and dance, art and installations, yoga and sports and a huge variety of food. There is also has a beach area where fans can truly enjoy the summer and the Danube. With so much on offer in the heart of Budapest, Sziget provides a complete festival-holiday experience with a week long party, great live concerts and all the attractions the city has to offer such as beautiful historic buildings, thermal spas and special ’ruin pubs’.

Line up: Alex Clare, Alt-J, Andy C, Anne-Marie, Bad Religion, Bassjackers, Bear's Den, Billy Talent, Cashmere Cat, Charli XCX, Chef'Special, Clean Bandit, Crystal Fighters, Danny Brown, De Staat, Dimension, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, DJ Shadow, Dubioza Kolektiv, Flume, Fritz Kalkbrenner, George Ezra, GTA, GusGus, Her, Interpol, Jagwar Ma, Jamie Cullum, Kasabian, Kensington, Leningrad, León, Mac Demarco, Major Lazer, Mando Diao, Maurice West, Metronomy, Nervo, Nothing but Thieves, OH Wonder, Oliver Heldens, Paul van Dyk, P!NK, PJ Harvey, Rita Ora, Rone, Rudimental live, Steve Aoki, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, The Couteeners, The Kills, The Naked and Famous, The Pretty Reckless, The Strypes, The Vaccines, Tom Odell, Two Door Cinema Club, Valentino Khan, Vince Staples, W&W, Watsky, Weval, White Lies, Wiz Khalifa

Sziget takes place from 9-16 August 2017. 7-day tickets from £175 available at szigetfestival.com

TOVE LO - LOWLANDS
Crafting an idiosyncratic blend of pop influenced as much by '80s pop as by contemporary EDM and coupled with raw, brutally honest lyrics, Tove Lo made a name for herself as an award-winning performer and Grammy-nominated songwriter. Born Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson on October 29, 1987 in a suburb of Stockholm, she began writing poetry and short stories at a young age. She went on to study at the famous Rytmus Musikergymnasiet -- a music-oriented high school comparable to the U.K.'s BRIT School -- where she befriended the future members of Icona Pop. After singing in the band Tremblebee, made up of students from the school, and a spell playing one-man-and-his-dog nightclub gigs as frontwoman of a math rock band, she decided to focus on her own songs, spending six months in her shed studio working on a demo. At a party celebrating Icona Pop's first record deal, she used the opportunity to foist her demo on a staff member at their label, leading to a publishing deal with Warner Chappell and a trip to L.A. to work with fellow Swede and pop songwriting/production supremo Max Martin.

Get ready for A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise 2017, as they festival prepares to celebrate it’s 25th anniversary edition. Taking place next to the Walib Fairgrounds, Biddinghuizen Lowlands is the Dutch answer to Reading & Leeds, but with impressive installations including the renowned red and white chimney stacks, plus unique covers for all stages so you can enjoy all the music rain or shine.  Just over an hours drive from Amsterdam you can easily mix your festival trip with a few days city break in Amsterdam. Tickets are available from ticketmaster.co.uk and include festival entry, camping + shuttle bus from / to railway station or Dronten Lelystad.. More acts will be announced soon with over 250 acts in total performing at this years event.

Line Up: Mumford & Sons, The xx, Editors, alt-J, Bastille, Cypress Hill, Elbow, Flume, Iggy Pop, Kovacs, London Grammar, Michael Kiwanuka, Migos, Moderat, Skepta,  Architects, At The Drive-In, Ben Klock, Billy Talent, Black Sun Empire, Carl Craig Presents Synthesizer Ensemble, Cashmere Cat, CLARK - Death Peak Live, Death Grips, Dixon, First Aid Kit, Future Islands, Glass Animals, Job Jobse, Jonna Fraser, Konstantin, LÉON, Mac DeMarco, MHD, Midland, Mura Masa, Nina Kraviz, Noord Nederlands Orkest, Nothing But Thieves, PVRIS, Robert Hood (DJ-set), Sampha, Talaboman, The Pretty Reckless, Ty Segall, Tove Lo, Abra, Aurora Halal, Bonzai, Colin Benders, Cubicolor Live, Baloji, Canshaker Pi, Denzel Curry, DJ Deeon, DJ Firmeza, Giegling Showcase (Ateq Live, Dustin, Edward.Live, Map.Ache) Haus, Jeangu Macrooy, John Moreland, Marie Davidson Live, Palace, Parcels, Romare Full Live Band, Shame, Shovels and Rope, SMIB.

Lowlands takes place from 18th - 20th August. 3 days tickets from £150 available at lowlands.nl

MOOR MOTHER - OFF FESTIVAL
Looking for some intense sensations? Don’t miss this show by Moor Mother, a.k.a. Camae Ayewa, an interdisciplinary artist from Philadelphia. We consider her debut album Fetish Bones one of last year’s most important records, though it’s too radical for broader audiences. Part chronicle, part complaint and rebellion, Fetish Bones is a stream-of-consciousness flowing from the collective and individual memory of an African-American woman. Critics have likened it to Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl,” Matana Roberts’ Coin Coin, and even Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly — all well-deserved comparisons — but Moor Mother’s message and music are much more vehement, vivid, and furious.

OFF is a festival for the discerning music fan and the place to discover the best alternative acts from around the world.  A truly unique boutique music festival, OFF Festival takes place in ‘Three Lake Valley’, Katowice  – a beautiful green oasis in the heart of industrial Silesia.  OFF is a way of life, one that flies in the face of current trends and stays true to itself, and the ethos of organiser Artur Rojek is firmly aimed at supporting art and music with the festival bringing many acts to Poland for the first time. OFF Festival’s reputation is growing year on year driven by the festivals forward–thinking, eclectic music policy and  it’s bold and eclectic lineups.  From the greatest alternative music stars from around the world to the increasingly strong Polish scene, OFF festival has inspiring music in abundance and the organisers and crowd have one serious finger on the pulse when it comes to music.

Line Up:  Anna Meredith, Anna Von Hausswolff, Arab Strap, Batushka, BEAK>, Boris Graja “Pink”, Carla Bozulich, Circuit des Yeux, Conor Oberst with Band, Daniel Johnston, Duzy Jack, Feist, Group A, Helando Negro, Jessy Lanza, Kikagaku Moyo, Kwadrofonik I Artur Rojek, Lvl Up, Made in Poland “Martwy Kabaret”, Michael Gira, Moor Mother, PJ Harvey, Preoccupations, PRO8L3M, Royal Trux, Shame, Sheer Mag, Shellac, SIKSA, Silver Apples, Spoiwo, Swans, Taleb Kweli Live, The Black Madonna, The Oh Sees, Ulrika Spacek, Wolves in the Throne Room, Wrekmeister Harmonies with more to be announced.

OFF Festival takes place from 4-6 August 2017. 3-day tickets from £52 available at off-festival.pl.

ELLIE GOULDING - POSITIVUS FESTIVAL
The princess of pop music, famous British artist Ellie Goulding is one of the most demanded singers in the music industry. The thirty years old musician has won or been nominated in almost every music award of our planet, including nominations at Grammys, two Brit Awards, four BMI London Awards and love from thousands of fans around the world. Goulding’s music has elements of indie, synthpop and electronic music and in the past years it can be heard in the biggest blockbusters and TV shows, on the dance floors and music festivals.

Line Up: Maximo Park, The Lumineers, The Pixies, Ellie Goulding, Alt-J, Rae Sremmurd, Kamasi Washington, L.A. Salami, José González, Mew, Austra, JP Cooper, Cigarettes After Sex, Dagamba, Dzelzs Vilks, Pienvedēja Piedzīvojumi. Ray Blk, Eska, Nothing but Thieves, Julia Jacklin, Margaret Glaspy, Bandmaster.

Taking place in the picturesque coastal town of Salacgriva in Latvia,Positivus is the largest music and arts festival in the Baltic States, transporting chart-topping headliners, underground emerging talent and exciting art and dance stages to their unspoiled atmospheric coastal setting amid stunning woodland. Festival goers can dip their toes in the baltic sea or take in the atmosphere in a hammock beneath the trees while enjoying a rich diversity of international chart toppers and underground emerging talent in this idyllic holiday location. Positivus also offers art and dance stages giving festival goers a variety of activities and stalls selling locally made designer clothing and accessories, giving festival goers plenty to see and do during the 3 day event. Positivus was also recognised in the 2013, 2015 and 2016 European Festival Awards being a finalist in the ‘Best Medium Sized Festival’ category and also for ‘Best Festival Line Up’ in 2013.

Positivus takes place from 14th to 16th July. 3 day festival passes from £67  positivusfestival.com

EXIT FESTIVAL - SISTER BLISS
As a founding member of Faithless, Sister Bliss became one of Britain's most popular figures in the electronica scene. As well as being an  innovative and highly-skilled programmer and producer Sister Bliss aka Ayalah Bentovim is also one of the most successful and respected female DJs. Building on her 1987 debut DJ set, Sister Bliss went on to make prestigious appearances at clubs such as Cream, the Gallery, and Ministry of Sound.  Throughout this ascent and beyond, Sister Bliss continued to DJ in many different countries and also began to compose music for film, TV, and theater, including a commission for Danny Boyle's 2000 adaptation of the Alex Garland novel The Beach.

Line Up: The Killers, Liam Gallagher, Years & Years, Hardwell, Rag’n’Bone Man, Jake Bugg, Paul Kalkbrenner, Solomun b2b Dixon, Alan Walker, Black Coffee, Duke Dumont, Faithless Dj Set, Hot Since 82, Jamie Jones, Lost Frequencies, Noisia “OUTER EDGES”, Recondite, Robin Schulz, RÜFÜS, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Antigone B2B Francois X, Charlotte de Witte, Dax J, Function, Princess Nokia, Voiski, Foreign Beggars, Kungs, The Damned, Behzad & Amarou, Ben Vedren, Forest People b2b kLaus, Leo pol, Pierre, Sweely, Arkona, Destruction, Discharge, Samael, Angelic Upstarts, The Black Dahlia Murder + many more!

Just a short ride away from the Serbian capital Belgrade, the magical Petrovaradin Fortress set high on the banks of the river Danube in Novi Sad provides the perfect setting for the EXIT Festival.  Started as a student protest in 2000 fighting for political change and freedom, EXIT continues to spread positive vibes, promoting change and positive education, supporting many community and humanitarian missions, while throwing a damn good party. The award winning festival has something for music lovers of all genres with a diverse mix of artists performing on numerous stages connected by cobbled streets, ramparts and tunnels.  Also renowned for it’s amazing atmosphere and energy the Dance Arena champions the who’s who in the electronic music world,  set in the awe-inspiring moat of the fortress, it’s that special moment when the sun’s rays shine over the fortress walls and your favourite tune is belting through the sound system and into your soul! EXIT continues to deliver the most adventurous and value for money festival experiences in Europe so keep your eyes peeled for the first acts to be announced soon. EXIT. Where hedonism meets activism.

Exit Festival takes place from 6-9 July 2017. 4-day tickets from £79 available at exitfest.org.

AMELIE LENS - SEA DANCE FESTIVAL
One of the most exciting export products Belgium has to offer these days - Amelie Lens is taking the scene by storm ever since releasing her solid debut EP on the Italian Lyase Recordings. The title track Exhale quickly began living it’s own life as a very recognisable and uptempo floorfiller. Lens’ mesmerising whisper driven by buoyant percussion and a heart-throbbing bass is a gimmick that grows on you fast but delicately before it leaves you craving for more. A collective sign of approval came from Berlin based power duo Pan-Pot who reached out to Amelie and asked her to get involved with Second State, Tassilo and Thomas’ own imprint.  As a DJ, Amelie has had a lot of exposure this year which earned her the amazing opportunity to curate her own nights at Labyrinth club in Hasselt. She shares the line-up with big industry names while giving local talent a platform to get discovered. The name 'Exhale' - taken from her Lyase EP earlier this year - acts as a brand name for quality club nights that will produce and capture the beauty of form and harmony found in techno music.

Line Up: Sean Paul, Fatboy Slim, John Newman, Amelie Lewis, Denis Horvat, South London Ordnance, Space Dimension Controller, Bad Copy, Filip Xavi, Insolate, Tkno, Who See, Ana RS, Bodzie, Darko Milosevic, Dino R, Iks_Oks, Jan de R, Fahrudin Krcic, Mtech, Millok, P.S, Proximus, Rayo, Soft 85, Tanya Moss, Techno Klinika and many more

Recently listed by Skyscanner as the number 1 cheapest holiday destination for 2017 this country is well worth checking out.  Montenegro has towering mountains perfect for hiking and mountain biking as well as some of the world’s best unspoilt beaches on the Adriatic Sea.  And if that wasn’t enough Montenegro featured in the James Bond Film Casino Royale and if it’s good enough for Bond, it’s good enough for us! Award winning Sea Dance festival gathers each year fans from over 50 countries from all over the world, and impressive line up of more than 100 hottest international music stars. This year, fourth edition of the festival, will be held in Budva  from 13th to 15th July, in Budva, Montenegro. Voted best European medium-sized festival, Sea Dance has proven much within just three short years. Stunning location, world renowned artists and outstanding productions make this festival a must see. Save the date and experience Sea Dance festival on Europe’s hottest summer destination, city of Budva, Montenegro.

Sea Dance Festival takes place from 13-15th July 2017. To book tickets visit seadancefestival.me

Contact
Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk

by Nikki