With Latitude festival on the horizon, I’ve been following the festival’s social accounts to get the scoop on the latest performers to be added to the already-amazing line-up. Here are my pick of the newest artist additions and my tips for what not to miss at this year’s festival…
Latitude festival takes place later this month at Henham Park in Suffolk from 18th-21st July 2019. I’m a regular festival-goer (so much so that I collect the cups and have one from every year of the event!) and I live so close to the festival that I can actually hear it from my garden!
So, in the run-up to the big event, I always follow Latitude’s social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter @LatitudeFest and Instagram so that I can be first to know about any new bands or performers that have been added to the bill. And it was only yesterday that Latitude announced some FANTASTIC new additions on their Instagram account @latitudefest.
Here are some of my favourites from the list that was shared yesterday, along with my tips for other must-see performers:
CHARLIE BROOKER & ANNABEL JONES
As a long-time Black Mirrors fan, I’m very excited to hear that writer Charlie Brooker will be at Latitude festival this year. My love of Black Mirrors has been reawakened with the new episodes that have just aired on Netflix this year, and it’ll be interesting to see the brain behind this cult show in the flesh.
TALK ART PODCAST
One of the things I love about Latitude is seeing podcasts come to life with live recordings taking place in front of a live audience. I try to go to at least one podcast recording each year as I find them really exciting to watch, in a chilled-out atmosphere and they’re always a good laugh. The Talk Art podcast is hosted by @RussellTovey and @RobertDiament and it’s just about art – it’s about friendship too, with special guests. Who will it be this time? That’s the exciting thing about Latitude – you never know who’ll randomly arrive on stage as a special guest.
THE GUILTY FEMINIST
It was only this week that I was listening to Deborah Frances-White on Radio 2 talking to Jo Whiley about The Guilty Feminist, and now it’s been announced that the award-winning podcast is going to be recorded at this year’s Latitude festival! I will be getting there super-early to see that! I actually saw a recording of The Guilty Feminist a couple of years ago and it led to a small-scale obsession with comedian Angela Barnes, who I’ve since seen on tour in Cambridge.
I also really rate Deborah Frances-White as a comedian too after seeing her take control of a crazy improve show on the literature stage at a previous Latitude festival featuring Marcus Brigstocke and Joe Lycett. It was one of those festival moments that you’ll never forget, because it as just SO ridiculous!
MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE: PRINCEFEST
Which takes us nicely on to Marcus Brigstocke’s (now yearly?) event Princefest. I remember going to the first one in the poetry arena and I’ve never experienced anything so random. It’s a late-night party with a host of famous faces lip-syncing to Prince songs while firing confetti cannons and audience members hopping up on stage to take the lead. Again, it’s one of those you-had-to-be-there legendary moments at Latitude festival, and now you can join in this year because it’s back!
MUSIC HEADLINERS
After all the festival reviews I’ve written over the years, you probably know that I go to Latitude festival for the comedy. But this year, it’s a different story because the three headliners are all acts I know and enjoy. George Ezra is the star of the show on Friday night, one of my fave bands from my teenage years Stereophonics is performing on Saturday night, and super-cool Lana Del Ray is headlining on Sunday evening. And – I can’t quite believe this – the closing performance of the festival on the Obelisk Arena is Underworld. That’s going to be epic. Don’t miss it.
COMEDY IN GENERAL
You’ll definitely find me in the comedy arena all weekend as there are SO many incredible acts booked for this year’s festival. Frank Skinner was a childhood favourite of mine so I’m excited to see him in real life as I’ve never seen him tour. Nick Helm’s blend of shouty comedy and hard rock tunes makes him my absolute comedy hero of all time. I’ve almost become a stalker since bumping into him at Latitude festival a few years back and have seen him on tour since.
More music-based comedy not-to-miss is Rachel Parris (who sold out at Norwich Playhouse before I had a chance to get tickets) and Jayde Adams who stunned audiences at last year’s festival with her opera skills. Add headliners Michelle Wolf, Katherine Ryan and Jason Manford to the mix and I think you can see why I’ll be staying in the shade in the comedy tent all day!
So what do you think of the line-up and these new additions? Will you be heading to the festival as a result? At the moment, there are still some day tickets and weekend camping tickets available for Latitude festival, but with a line-up like this I recommend that you book now before they’re all snapped up! See you there?!
