Gate to Southwell to return to Kirklington Lakes this summer for its 18th anniversary
A popular music festival returning this summer will be celebrating its 18th birthday with over 60 acts from around the world.
The Gate to Southwell Festival has grown in stature and reputation since it first began in 2007, and this year, the festival at Kirklington Lakes will be even bigger.
The four-day festival, running from July 3 to 6, will see over 60 acts appearing, from the world of roots, folk and acoustic music, plus quality family entertainment.
Alongside music, it offers a range of music but family-friendly activities and entertainment, folk dancing and ceilidhs, food and drinks, craft stalls, poetry, comedy and community spirit.
The non-profit run festival run by volunteers, will begin on Thursday with headliners Jon Boden — former Bellowhead — & The Remnant Kings, supported by acts like The Magpies and The Thomas Bradley Project.
Friday’s headliner will be Fairport Convention guitarist, songwriter and USA-based folk artist Richard Thompson OBE, who will be making his first visit to Southwell.
Also on Friday, festival favourites Track Dogs make a return as do Balkan ska-swing-dub outfit Mr Tea & The Minions.
Frequent headliners such as Seckou Keita & The Homeland Band from Senegal and rising folk star singer-songwriter Katherine Priddy, there will also be a special Blues Day on Saturday, July 5, with Alabama 3 Acoustic performing the Saturday afternoon concert on the Lake Stage.
Globally famous for their Sopranos theme tune ‘Woke Up This Morning’, the South London roots-futurists — led by vocals of Larry Love and the soulful sounds of Zoe Devlin Love — will pay tribute to blues greats such as Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker.
Throughout Saturday, the Frontier Stage will play host to a variety of artists in a blues vein, concluding with internationally-acclaimed rhythm & blues band The Cadillac Kings.
Additionally, there’s the cajun-meets-honky-tonk zydeco blues of Ruben Moreno from Houston Texas; Ruben and his band travel across musical genres from rock and blues to ska.
Hat Fitz & Cara make a welcome return from Australia, having supported Jools Holland & his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.
Adding a more acoustic element to Blue Saturday there’s Ma Polaine’s Great Decline, plus a return for the highly-acclaimed country blues guitar and vocals of Sunjay, a solo performance from Nine Below Zero’s singer Charlie Austen, a blues set from regulars Winter Wilson and, kicking it all off from 11 am, a story of the blues presentation from Rhydian Wyn & The Blue Fire.
Sunday will be headlined by high octane folk punks Skinny Lister, Barcelona world music stars El Pony Pisador, strong traditional music plus original songs and harmonies from Bristol’s Sam Kelly Trio, folk pioneers Banter, New Orleans inspired sounds from Yorkshire’s New York Brass Band and jazz swing and ragtime from Slim Panatella & The Mellow Virginians.
Last but not least, another festival favourite Mike West, formerly of Truckstop Honeymoon, returns alongside Canadian Nick Broster to form Broster & West, performing across the weekend.
Other unmissable acts lining up over this years Gate to Southwelll include The Rosie Hood Band, Simon Mayor’s Mandolinquents, Italian ragtime and country blues from Veronica Sbergia & Max De Bernardi, brilliant guitar playing from BBC Folk Award winner Sam Carter, Australian folk harmonies from We Mavericks, Quebecois sounds courtesy of Arthur Coates & Kerran Cotterell, diverse dance music from The Activators, celebrated Birmingham fiddle & guitar duo Thorpe & Morrison, honky tonk from The Bapchilds, the kaleidoscopic folk of Pisky Led, Bohemian folk pop from Australia’s Lucy Gallant, rousing alternative folk performed by Barnsley’s Common Culture, original Scots singer-songwriter Mairi Sutherland.
Weekend, camping and day tickets are now available from the Festival’s website.
