Battle of the bands at double festival weekend
IT’S festival season as two of the biggest events in the Macclesfield calendar go head to head in the same weekend.
The Macclesfield Festival is at Macclesfield Rugby Club, Priory Lane, on Saturday, July 20, with headline acts Soul II Soul and former M People singer Heather Small.
And New Order, Jarvis Cocker and Kraftwerk are on the bill at the Bluedot Festival, held at Jodrell Bank, from Thursday, July 18, to Sunday, July 21.
Last year the Macclesfield Festival attracted more than 7,500 people and this time round it has seven stages.
Other acts to appear - aside from the chart stars of the 1980s and 90s - will be De-Tronic, the Winachi Tribe, Ashley Sherlock, Queen Cult, the Claremonts and the Jade Assembly. A spokesman for the festival said: “This year we have seven main stages with artists for all ages including an after party, that’s entertainment for 11 hours. As well as an all star line up, with activities for adults and children, live music stages, dance tents, local market stalls, hot and cold food stands and much more.”
Bluedot - at the UNESCO World Heritage site - is a science and music festival, which this year marks the 50th anniversary of the moon landings. Other bands appearing include Hot Chip and Sons of Kemet as well as DJs Willow and Ralph Lawson. The comedy line-up for this year, as part of the festival’s art and culture programme, includes John Robins. There will also be Knightmare Live, the stage adaptation of the cult TV show, Knightmare.
For the science and culture programme Dr Helen Sharman, the UK’s first astronaut and first woman on the Mir space station, will speak as will science historian James Burke, human spaceflight expert Libby Jackson and broadcaster Dallas Campbell.