Fund festival to help pick its acts

WANT TO HELP PICK A FESTIVAL’S LINE-UP? BARBARA HODGSON HAS ALL THE DETAILS . .

MUSIC fans are being invited to pick their own headliners at next year’s Lindisfarne Festival, as organisers unveil future hopes to grow the event.

Just weeks after this year’s festival – the most successful to date – drew crowds to Beal Farm, Northumberland, sights are already set on 2018.

And fans are being offered the chance to have their say in just who should appear on its line-up.

The unique opportunity comes as the festival team launch a crowdfunding campaign to ensure the future of the independent event which plays out in one of the North East’s most beautiful coastal locations.

With Holy Island as its backdrop, the three-day music and creative arts festival this year attracted huge numbers of music lovers and campers as it showcased more than 100 acts between August 31 and September 3.

With attractions including chart-toppers The Fratellis; indie-rocking fellow Scots The View; The Happy Cats and Fun Lovin’ Criminals, plus DJs, street food, art and the likes of alternative therapies, it saw a 38% increase in festival-goers compared to last year.

Organisers are now following up with the launch today of a major Crowdfunder campaign, with an initial target of £70,000 aimed at growing the festival and attracting even bigger artists for 2018 – and their hands-on offer to fans forms part of it.

They are invited to take up a “money can buy” deal by buying a seat on the festival’s line-up voting panel.

There will be five places available – at £495 each – to help curate the 2018 programme, and these will include a meet-and-greet with a band of their choice and a chance to become a Lindisfarne Festival “Wall of Fame” member – with a photograph of their smiling faces going down in history, say organisers.

Lindisfarne Festival’s founder, Conleth Maenpaa, said: “The feedback from this year’s festival has been nothing short of outstanding.

“Our Crowdfunder will help us make sure that we come back stronger again while giving our festivalgoers the chance to secure some great ticket rewards and really get involved in the festival’s development.”

Conleth said the plan is to retain the “boutique vibe” of the over-18s festival but to take programming, site design and the line-up “up a notch”. “In time, we’d love to secure a headline act of Glastonbury proportions,” she said.

“Imagine Guns N’ Roses or Foo Fighters playing to an intimate audience overlooking Holy Island – that would be the ultimate dream.”

The aim is to encourage businesses to become more involved too in shaping the future of the event, which is scheduled to return on August 30 to September 2 for its fourth year. All the available offers will launch as part of the Crowdfunder campaign, which goes live at 7pm tonight.

Then the plan in coming weeks is to raise the fundraising target to £150,000 by November through a range of ticket sales, donations and sponsorship packages.

Other quirky ideas to get people involved will include “Boozy Weekend” tickets, offering all-inclusive food and drink and lavish private parties; and an exclusive Lindisfarne Lovers package to suit lovebirds with an option of glamping, massages, a guitar serenade and a post-festival romantic Sunday lunch at the Barn at Beal or Lindisfarne Inn.

An Ultimate Festival Weekender package for two will include VIP tickets and first-class rail travel; a furnished glamping bell tent; complimentary drinks and meals vouchers; holistic treatments in the Sanctuary area and a band meet-and-greet.

Other options will include discounted ticket packages up to 25% off; limited-edition merchandise and three-year season tickets. And business can back the event in the form of sponsoring the main dance tent, for instance, or hosting the festival warm-up party.

Tickets for 2018 will go on sale as soon as the campaign launches on Crowdfunder.co.uk