Boardmasters has today revealed its second wave of acts set to perform in 2018, including Main Stage headliners Catfish and the Bottlemen and George Ezra
At Watergate Bay’s sunrise this morning, Boardmasters unveiled 29 epic acts who will join previously announced headliners The Chemical Brothers for Cornwall’s own surf and music festival, taking place this year from Wednesday 8 – Sunday 12 August. With everything from alt-rock, grime, house, electropop, singer-songwriters and much more, Boardmasters is set to return bigger and better than ever to the stunning Cornish coastline for another huge year of surf and music.
Indie rockers Catfish and the Bottlemen are a musical tour de force. The platinum-selling Welsh quartet, fronted by energetic lead vocalist Van McCann, have been hailed by NME as “one of the best live bands in the game”, and as they take to the Boardmasters Main Stage on Friday 10 August on their return to Watergate Bay, festivalgoers can expect an electrifying set filled with early hits like ‘Cocoon’ and ‘Kathleen’, as well as cuts from their number one sophomore album ‘The Ride’.
Since bursting on to the scene with his multi-platinum debut album ‘Wanted on Voyage’ in 2014, George Ezra has continually stunned audiences with his distinctively soulful voice and jubilant live shows. The multi-platinum singer-songwriter behind chilled-out hits ‘Budapest’, ‘Blame It On Me’, ‘Don’t Matter Now’, and recent anthemic release ‘Paradise’, will close the Main Stage with his warm vocals as the sun sets on Watergate Bay on Sunday 12 August.
In 2016, after a six-year hiatus, grime veteran Kano released his critically-lauded album ‘Made In The Manor’ and headlined Boardmasters Unleashed stage with one of the most talked about performances of the festival weekend. This year, with a UK festival exclusive, Kano will be returning to the sun-drenched coast with what’s sure to be another electrifying set featuring fan favourites ‘3 Wheel-ups’, ‘GarageSkankFREESTYLE’ and ‘P’s and Q’s’.
Electro-dance trio Years & Years conquered 2015 with their number one debut album ‘Communion’ which earned them four prestigious BRIT Award nominations, and now Olly Alexander, Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Türkmen are gearing up for their massive return. The ‘King’ and ‘Shine’ hitmakers, known for their exuberant performances, will bring a splash of colour to the weekend’s festivities.
With a number one album that has gone on to sell millions worldwide, soulful sensation Rag'n'Bone Man was the sound of the summer and Boardmasters is stoked to announce his return to this year’s festival. Rory Graham, better known as Rag’n’Bone Man, has had unprecedented success since releasing global smash ‘Human’ in 2016: follow-up singles ‘Skin’ and ‘Grace’ are instant classics and have made Graham one of the most-heard voices on the radio. He’s also bagged two BRIT Awards and is nominated in this year’s category for British Male Solo Artist.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, even more acts have been added to the fantastic Boardmasters bill today, including two of the biggest indie rock bands to emerge from Britain over the past few years: Friendly Fires, who have promised big things in 2018 after a five-year hiatus, and Everything Everything, who unleashed their fantastic fourth record to huge praise in summer 2017. On the verge of releasing her eagerly anticipated second album ‘Someone Out There’, Rae Morris will provide the feel-good vibes as she hits the stage to perform latest electropop bangers ‘Do It’ and ‘Atletico’.
Also announced are hotly tipped pop star and the UK’s go-to songwriter RAYE, indie alt-folk trio Wildwood Kin, the ‘rising voice of London's disaffected underclass’ Hak Baker, the UK's premier blues rock trio Wille & The Bandits, Australian surf pop duo Hockey Dad, rising UK R&B Singer Bobii Lewis and Kelli-Leigh, who is best known as the voice behind two number 1 UK singles: ‘I Got U’ by Duke Dumont and ‘I Wanna Feel’ by Second City.
Watergate Bay will also play host to an incredible line-up of superstar DJs from around the globe this summer. MK, responsible for hits like ‘Piece Of Me’ featuring Becky Hill and recent top ten crowd-puller ‘17’, will be spinning the best house, techno, hip hop and R&B tunes. Also announced is drum and bass and jungle music specialist Shy FX Soundsystem, and BBC Radio 1’s Danny Howard.
Claptone, Steve Lawler, Skream, Fred V & Grafix, Audio Bullys, Riton with Kah-Lo, Holy Goof, Or:La, Kideko and Cakeboy complete the latest batch of announced acts for a unique festival experience in the most epic setting the UK has to offer.
Inspired by the freedom, adventure and creativity of surfing and music, Boardmasters was born in 1981. Expect parties that run late into the night and a beautiful beach to recuperate on during the day. The 5-day event is situated across two stunning locations in Cornwall - the surfing mecca of the UK, Fistral Beach, where world class International Surf Competitions take place, and arguably the most stunning location in the country to watch live music, Watergate Bay.
Published on 31 January 2018 by Ben Robinson
