Beautiful Days 2018 Announce Manic Street Preachers, Shed Seven, Feeder, Levellers, Gogol Bordello, Suzanne Vega, Calexico, British Sea Power, Richard Thompson Electric Trio, Vintage Trouble, the Wildhearts, Eric Bibb, Jazzie B & Loads More
Headlining the Main Stage on Saturday at Beautiful Days 2018 are the world-renowned Welsh rockers Manic Street Preachers. Their new album 'Resistance Is Futile', which features lead single ‘International Blue’ is out 13 April 2018. Friday’s headliner cannot be revealed until June but headlining the Sunday night are festival founders Levellers who will close the weekend with a spectacular show including a firework finale. Also playing the Main Stage are gypsy punks Gogol Bordello, plus Shed Seven who recently released their first album in 16 years, indie-rock band Feeder who visit Escot Park for the first time, the sensational rhythm & blues band Vintage Trouble, Mercury Prize nominated indie rock band British Sea Power, rock band The Wildhearts led by the charismatic Ginger Wildheart, Dutch blues & funk band My Baby and Beautiful Days favourites Dreadzone. Completing the Main Stage line-up are Scottish punk band The Skids, Canadian Producer and DJ crew A Tribe Called Red, the mighty Dub Pistols, plus high octane folk rockers from Newcastle Holy Moly And The Crackers, Indian ska-dub band The Ska Vengers, cosmic band Henge, pop duo Rews, punk-rock quintet Ducking Punches, The Spitfires and singer-songwriter Emily Capell.
Headlining The Big Top stage on Friday is Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega who recently celebrated the 30th and 25th anniversaries of her albums Solitude Standing and 99.9F which included the hits ‘Luka’ and ‘Tom’s Diner’. Headlining on Saturday is Arizona-bred alt rock band Calexico and Sunday is acclaimed folk legend Richard Thompson with his electric trio show. Also in The Big Top are high energy French band Les Negresses Vertes, American acoustic blues singer-songwriter Eric Bibb, plus Oysterband who recently celebrated their 40th anniversary, North London siblings Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, the uncompromising Nadine Shah, New Model Army frontman Justin Sullivan playing a solo set, Rising Appalachia who are led by the collective voice of sisters Leah and Chloe, plus Canadian Irish punk band The Mahones, Elephant Sessions and Skinny Lister. And completing the Big Top line-up are BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominees Sam Kelly And The Lost Boys, husband & wife duo Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman, Cornish folk-punk band 3 Daft Monkeys, festival favourites Hobo Jones And The Junkyard Dogs and The Bar Stewards Of Val Doonican. Levellers Acoustic will open the show on the Friday afternoon playing stunning and surprising re-arrangements of their hits from new album ‘We The Collective’ produced by John Leckie, out 30 March.
The Little Big Top will play host to British DJ, producer and founding member of Soul II Soul Jazzie B, dub heavyweights Youth & Gaudi Live and multi-platinum selling singer-songwriter Sian Evans. Plus Macky Gee & IC3, Altern 8 Live, TS7, The Undercover Hippy, Mark XTC, Davos Live, Dr Meaker, Mr Nice, Future Flex, The Tribe, Skata Tones, Dark Matta, Astralasia, Splink, Just A Couple Of Mums, Instigator & Sarge, Leroy & Agony, DJ Ambiessence, DJ Shinybeast, Westman and Farmer. Family rave Big Fish Little Fish returns on the Friday afternoon and The Silent Disco runs into the early hours for two nights. The Theatre Tent welcomes ‘Football Magic’ with John Farnworth, ‘The Children in the Moon’ presented by Makeshift Ensemble, plus Mumblecrust Theatre presenting ‘The Tale of the Cockatrice’, Dan The Hat with the ‘Stupid Stunt Show’, Irish poet Stephen James Smith, comedy duo Spitz and Co presenting ‘Glorilla’, Morgan & West presenting ‘Time Travelling Magicians’ and Swing Circus. Plus the much-loved Entertainingly Different and Le Navet Bete. The Band Stand plays host to The United Stoats Of America, The Haystingers, The Cravats, The 286, Taya Minchington, Someone/Anyone, Small Town Jones, Sembalance, PG Haze, Paul Coultas, Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, King Size Slim, Jake And The Jellyfish, Hastings Second Line Band, Easy Rider Soundtrack, Dr Savage & The Incurables, Davey Malone, Buddah Triangle, 40 Shillings On The Drum, Open Mic Sessions and the 2018 Fancy Dress Competition.
Line-ups for The Bimble and The Rebel Tent plus stand-up comedy in The Theatre Tent are still to be announced. The THEME for the Sunday at Beautiful Days is A RIOT OF COLOUR – the festival are encouraging people to be bold, be bright and wear all the colours of the rainbow!
Beautiful Days is a family music festival that has no corporate sponsorship or branding and does not advertise. The festival, now in its 16th year, is organised by DMF Music and takes place at Escot Park in Devon. It has seven stages included a seated Theatre Tent plus site art installations, a huge children’s area, family camping, licensed real ale bars from Otter Brewery & a great choice of food and craft stalls.
Published on 20 March 2018 by Ben Robinson
