Gate to Southwell Festival set to kick off tomorrow
International and home-grown acts are set for the stage from tomorrow, as the 17th Gate to Southwell Festival kicks off.
Among the acts is the incredible Rhiannon Giddens — for who the festival will be her only UK date this summer — the multi-Grammy award-winning Folk, Roots and Americana star who guested on Beyonce’s recent 400 million streaming ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ single.
She will fly in from Roskilde Festival in Denmark to perform at the Kirklington Lakes site on Saturday, July 6.
“It’s a real coup and huge honour for us,” said festival director Mike Kirrage.
“She’s a great performer and entertainer and one of the most important Roots artists of her generation.”
This year’s Gate To Southwell Festival (GTSF), which takes place from Thursday, July 4, to Sunday, July 7, at the festival site in nearby Kirklington, boasts over 60 international artists performing across four stages — and is set to be the most successful yet with more than 5,000 visitors expected.
Alongside Rhiannon, there’ll be a host of other internationally-respected artists appearing this year including The Fugitives from Canada, Manran and Blue Rose Code from Scotland, Charm Of Finches from Australia, Daoiri Farrell from Ireland, Suntou Susso from Gambia, The Haar from Ireland, Lizzie No from New York and many more.
One of GTSF’s strengths is its ability to promote both highly-respected international performers and up-and-coming local artists over the four days and this year will be no exception.
The first night of the festival — Thursday, July 4 — will be headlined by Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening from Northumberland and award-winning Dartmoor-based duo Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, but it will also showcase some of the best acts in the East Midlands including Starscreen, Littlewolf, The Terrible Parents, Julia Waldron, Porterhouse, The Levy Circus and the acclaimed duo Malc Slater and Rhydian Wyn.
Starscreen will headline The Frontier Stage purveying “good old fashioned dirty rock and roll”, while Rochdale’s Julia Waldron has been branded “the Mae West of Folk and Americana”, with exceptional ‘shoot from the hip’ singer-songwriting skills inspired by the likes of Gretchen Peters, Boo Hewardine, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton.
Leicestershire band Porterhouse return to the festival following their star turn last year to play original Americana influenced folk-roots material alongside covers, and from even closer to home are Southwell-based cello and acoustic guitar songwriting duo The Terrible Parents.
GTSF is a family-friendly festival, with camping, glamping, ceilidhs, comedy, music workshops, campfire sessions with cooking and games, craft stalls and food and drink vendors.
Family entertainment includes Dan The Hat, Fit Up Street Circus, Becky Bops, Mark Fraser of Walk The Lines, music workshops and ceilidh, family yoga, Festival Fairies, arts and crafts, face painting, multi-sensory activities, outdoor games, and music by Paul Carbuncle.