Why you don’t need to look further than Liverpool for festival season

Sometimes its hard to get a weekend away from home and go to a festival but this year, why go elsewhere with these festivals right on your doorstep?

Festival season is approaching fast and in a year where Liverpool’s music scene is celebrating big anniversaries, we’ve conjured up a list of festivals that show exactly why it’s worth sticking around Merseyside for your festival fix this year.

Threshold Festival, Baltic Triangle 31st March – 2nd April

Starting us off, Threshold Festival returns in just under two weeks time as they plan to take over the Baltic Triangle at the end of the month. A festival they describe that it was made “by artists for artists, and is dedicated to authenticity, integrity and entertainment at it’s very best.” After a successful Kickstarter campaign to help the festival go ahead this year, Threshold returns with a fantastic line-up of emerging talent both local and national.

With the likes of False Advertising, Coquin Migale, SPQR, Seafoam Green and Elevant, who’ll also be playing at Wrong Festival, it’s going to be a thrilling weekend and all at fantastic value too.

Tickets are on sale now for £15.00 via Skiddle.

Wrong Festival, Liverpool Docklands, 22nd April

The underground scene in Liverpool is ironically anything but underground across the city. Its popularity in Liverpool has resulted in a new festival to bring the grittier and darker bands to Merseyside.

Wrong is heading to the docklands next month with a host of exciting bands that will make this a debut on the festival scene that won’t be forgotten about any time soon. With Bo Ningen, The Wytches, Heck, Elevant, Chupa Cabra and many more all heading our way in just over a month, Wrong Festival have got it right when putting on a one-day festival filled with exciting and loud music.

Tickets are on sale now for a discount price of £15.00 and then after that they’ll be £20.00 via See Tickets, Skiddle or Dice FM.

FestEvol Gardens, Invisible Wind Factory 30th April

Just over a month away, FestEvol Gardens will be lighting up the Invisible Wind Factory with a cracking line-up filled with emerging talent that will be huge across the UK in the near future. Although packed with tons of upcoming talent, topping the bill are indie stalwarts, Wild Beasts and Pulled Apart By Horses will be appearing too.

SXSW over in the States have spotted some of the rising bands that are heading to Liverpool and have brought them over to perform at the prestigious festival, including The Big Moon, Dream Wife, All We Are and local lads Her’s all set to play in Texas before returning for FestEvol Gardens on April 30th.

Tickets on sale now for £30.00 via SEE Tickets, Skiddle or via the DICE app.

Sound City, Clarence Docks 27th – 28th May

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Sound City is returning with one of its best line-ups they’ve ever produced, rammed with incredible acts from the past, present and future. The Human League will be closing the first night off the four day party, with sets from The Velvet Underground & Nico and The Cribs over the weekend.

White Lies will be returning to Liverpool since their spectacular show in the O2 Academy back in November before making way for headliners, The Kooks on the final night of the festival. Also coming to the docklands in May are punk-duo Slaves, Carl Barat & The Jackals, Vant, The Sherlocks and then headlining on Saturday night, Metronomy.

Sound City+ will be taking place in the Camp & Furnace again with the theme for the panel being revolution in music, discussing the British Invasion in the 60s to the acid house scene of the 90s up to the rising popularity of grime today.

On the panel are a host of legendary musicians, with bass player, Jah Wobble, veteran DJ, Don Letts, Andrew Wetherall, Peaches, Dudley.Jeczalik.Langan, photo journalists Kevin Cummins and Tom Oxley and also journalist Hattie Collins.

Tickets are on sale now for £71.50 via SEE Tickets.

LIMF, Sefton Park 20th-23rd July

Sefton Park becomes the home for the Liverpool International Music Festival once again this July, when Europe’s biggest free open festival puts on a party in the park with some of the biggest artists in music.

Now JACKS is all about indie, but who could say no to a free festival that’s packed with a line-up that other festivals would charge you a couple hundred pounds for?

Only unveiled on Tuesday morning, LIMF will be filling Sefton Park with a variety of acts as Gorgon City, Cast, Corrine Bailey Rae, Kate Nash, So Solid Crew and so many more are all set to play.

There are ticketed events over the weekend at the Palm House in Sefton Park but still at great value. For the first time too, LIMF will be providing a VIP experience for music fans, with an exclusive area with a private bar, excellent views of the stage and much more on offer.

Tickets are on sale now for LIMF Presents: The Palm House starting from £13.20 and VIP tickets are available now, costing £13.20 per day or £33.00 for the weekend via Ticket Quarter.

Hope & Glory, St. George’s Quarter 5th – 6th August

Making its debut, Hope & Glory Festival is making good impressions in the build-up to the event, with the surroundings of St George’s Hall and Gardens, as well as the World Museum and City Library to set the scene, it’s backed up with a great group of bands that were unveiled in the first wave at the end of February.

Topping the bill is the infamous Manchester dance and indie Haçienda Classiçal, set to be curated by Graeme Park, Mike Pickering, Manchester Camerata Orchestra and special guests. Headlining the opening night, James will be adding a nostalgic feel, also just added to the line-up, Ocean Colour Scene and Embrace are set to make a return to the city after recently both performing here.

 Coming back to Liverpool, The Fratellis will be in to rile up St. George’s Quarter while former frontman of Keane, Tom Chaplin is set to perform songs of his debut solo effort The Wave. One band to really go out of your way to catch are the captivating story-tellers, Public Service Broadcasting, who are close to releasing their third album. The second LP, The Race For Space came out in 2015, as they gave us the best history lesson of the Space Race between the US and Russia.

We can expect to see Reverend & The Makers over the weekend, The Shimmer Band, The Blinders, Coquin Migale and Vynce are all on the card too with still more acts to be revealed in the coming months leading up to the festival.

Those who buy tickets early will be given free tickets to a secret gig in St. George’s Hall on August 5th on the eve of the festival.

Tickets are on sale now for £89.00 via the Hope & Glory Festival website.

Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia, Camp & Furnace 22nd – 23rd September

Camp & Furnace is in the heart of the thriving scene that is the Baltic Triangle and come this autumn, it’ll be the home once again to the Liverpool International Festival of Psychadelia. What’s being said about Psych Fest? Well they say a picture can speak a thousand words so here’s one that’ll give you an idea of what to expect this September…

One of the most surreal festivals you can experience not just for its music but for the performing arts and visually-stunning set up that engulfs the Camp & Furnace.

Playing at this year’s festival, The Black Angels and Mali’s own unique Psych band, Songhoy Blues will be headlining over the weekend. Heading to the Baltic Triangle as well are Loop, Stereolab ex front-woman, Laetitia Sadia, The Comet Is Coming, Wolf People and more already pencilled in to perform in six months time.

There’s still many more acts to be announced, including another headliner but with what we already know, Psych Fest will be a fantastic way to bring the 2017 festival season to a close.

Tickets are on sale now for £83.00 via the Psych Fest website.

Do you love indie as much as we do? Enjoy going to gigs at the Arts Club or catching a band play in the O2 Academy? Then you should join the team! JACKS are looking for writers and if the above sounds like you then click here and get in touch!