Preparations have begun at Wollaton Park for the return of Splendour Festival which is set to take place for the first time in two years. The event will now be held over two days on Saturday, July 23 and Sunday, July 24 across three stages on the historic site.
Headliners for this year include Richard Ashcroft, Anne Marie, Happy Mondays and Supergrass among many others. The stage and site are currently under construction with just two days to go before thousands of music fans enter the park.
It's all hands on deck as the site will open to the public on Saturday morning at 11 am with the first act due on stage at 12:30 pm. Food and drink vendors are currently setting up alongside the fun fair and other attractions.
DHP Family’s Managing Director George Akins is excited to see the festival return and says that it has always been an ambition to grow the festival. Covid restrictions caused the festival to be cancelled until now but it gave the team an incentive to develop a double headliner event instead of the traditional single-day event."
"Our bill is much the same as our 2020 bill but we brought in Craig David for Rick Astley. There were opportunities to grow it so we felt it was the right thing to do."
Read more: Stage times confirmed for Splendour festival
The first Splendour event was held in 2008 and since then, it has managed to attract hundreds of visitors to the city. The festival and others like it manage to create a huge financial boost and place Nottingham firmly on the map when it comes to live events.
Councillor for Lenton and Wollaton East, Pavlos Kotsohis said: "Splendour was a long history and it means a lot to the people of Nottingham so it's really great that after two years, it is back on again. We didn't have any festivals or events at that time so it's good to be able to split into two days instead of one."
"We are proud of that and I hope people enjoy it. Events like Splendour and Meadowlands have an impact because they get people into Nottingham and they experience our heritage sites and museums while they are here. They enjoy the high-quality events like this so it brings in investment and also puts Nottingham on the map."
A smaller stage is also being set up in the Courtyard of Wollaton Park near the cafe. It will host local performers, dancers and musicians along with comedy acts across both days including Bamalamasingsong and Nottingham's Samba Collective.
While there are big headliners and seasoned performers like Happy Mondays or Belinda Carlisle, there are also many Nottingham bands and singers who have played over the years. In previous years, Jake Bugg and Do Nothing have played the festival but this year Nottingham's own, Beka will take to the main stage on Sunday
Beka: "It's so dreamy to be joining the lineup this year. It might sound a bit extra but it really is good to be back in your home town playing to the people you love. Fans can expect a lot of fun from my set as I'm really happy we are back together and liberated. So there will be a lot of dancing, storytelling and tea."
She added: "I'm excited to see Anne Marie as I'm a big fan and I love her music. She's a slay queen so I can't wait to see her and also Tom Grennan too."
Most of the site is still under construction which includes the artist's area where performers can relax before and after their shows. The management of the area as well as sourcing items from celebrity rider requests comes down to Artist Liason Manager Phil Mulhaire who has been with Splendour from the start.
"The Happy Mondays set is going to be very emotional following the death of Paul Ryder so I'm really interested in seeing that. In terms of opening acts, it's great to see some of the new bands coming through as in the past we have had Jake Bugg and Do Nothing. I lived in Nottingham for 30 years and there was a time it wasn't considered to be a musical hot spot but that has really changed due in part to Splendour and DHP."
He added: "I'm really looking forward to catching Alt Blk Era as they are opening the main stage on Saturday. They were in the Future Sound of Nottingham Competition. I'm also really looking forward to catching up with old friends like the Human League, Belinda Carlisle and Ocean Colour Scene."
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