Belle and Sebastian set to rock at Europe’s first luxury cruise ship festival

0 Belle and Sebastian: plans for a four-day extravaganza Scottishbandbelleandsebastian are to hold Europe’s first indie music festival at sea on board a luxury cruise ship.

The Glasgow rockers have unveiled plans for a four-day musical extravaganza in the Mediterranean where they will play to 2,400 cruise ship passengers.

The ‘Boaty Weekender’ will set sail from Barcelona in August 2019 and head to Cagliari, Sardinia, before returning to Spain. Tickets are expected to go on sale this summer and fans who book the first 350 rooms will be invited to an intimate gig with Belle and Sebastian, whose singles include The Party Liner.

The festival is being held on Norwegian Jade, a 93,500-ton vessel with 1,200 bedrooms, five stages and more than 20 bars and restaurants.

The band, fronted by singer Stuart Murdoch, said in a statement: “We have got our hands on quite a large boat. We’re loading it up with some ace groups for a four-day sail round the Med.

“Join us on August 8-12 2019 on the beautiful Norwegian Jade as we depart from Barcelona, Spain, and make our way to Cagliari, Sardinia, to spend some time with you beautiful groovers and fellow bands to be announced in the coming weeks.

“We want to do it right. Let’s have yoga and cocktails and club nights and themed balls and creches and quizzes and scrabble tournaments and gigs.

“Gigs upon gigs from some of our good friends and favourite acts in rock’n’ roll on five stages throughout the ship and instead of stumbling home to a damp tent in a dark field, saunter back to the comfort of a clean bed in your own state room on a luxury liner.”

The full list of bands has yet to be revealed but fans are likely to be treated to an impressive line-up. The Flaming Lips, Mogwai, Mercury Rev and Snow Patrol were among those who played at Belle and Sebastian’s Bowlie Weekender festival 20 years ago.