As news reaches us that Beacons will not be taking place this year, festival lovers will be relieved to know that there are more options to enjoy than ever. Firstly, May Day Bank Holiday weekend will see the 11th incarnation of Salford’s premium alt-fest, Sounds from the Other City (Sun 3 May 2015, various venues including Islington Mill around Chapel Street, £20, www.skiddle.com). The line up includes hot acts like Menage A Trois, Cold Pumas, Sauna Youth and Hartheim. But if you’ve been, you’ll know it’s all about the vibe. Kendal Calling (Thu 30 Jul – Sun 2 Aug 2015, Lowther Deer Park, The Lake District, weekend camping from £143.50, www.ticketline.co.uk) is 10 this year, and expands to take on what we imagine might have been some of Beacons’ headline acts. The four day event includes Elbow, Snoop Dogg, Kaiser Chiefs and The Vaccines, as well as a jam-rammed rave schedule. Manchester’s Pride (Fri 28 – Mon 31 Aug 2015, weekend tickets £18, www.quaytickets.com) returns this year, with particularly fabulous headliners in the shape of Texas, while the festival season closes with Portmeirion’s multiple-award-winner, Festival No 6 (Thu 3  – Sun 6 Sep 2015, Portmeirion, Wales, weekend pass from £170, www.festivalnumber6.com). Confirmed acts so far include Grace Jones, Belle and Sebastian, DJ Harvey and the 2 Bears. The smart money is on Festival No 6 selling out this year. A note about Beacons: the organisers today announced that a new festival called Beacons Metro will take the place of the old festival proper. More details have yet to be announced but at present, it looks like Beacons will become a kind of urban event in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool in October. Keep an eye on www.greetingsfrombeacons.com for more.

Sun 3 May - Sun 6 Sep
Words:
Wire Editor
Published on:
Thu 19 Feb 2015