Name: Parklife Festival
Where: Heaton Park, Manchester
When: June 9th – 10th, 2018
Parklife returns to lovely Heaton Park in Manchester. In its 8th consecutive year, the independent festival has become one of the most reliably diverse and thrilling weekends of the British summer circuit. After horrifying terrorist attacks 2 weeks before the festival started last year, celebrating the importance of Mancunian togetherness has never felt more vital, and its momentum shows no signs of stopping in 2018.
Line-Up:
With 12 (!) artists getting the headline treatment, some savage choices will have to be made as to who to see. Lorde, white-hot off her acclaimed album last year, is a must-see, as is go-to Manchester miserablist (and fan favourite) Liam Gallagher, enjoying a recent return to the spotlight. For pure body movement, you can’t go wrong withJustice, whose hammering, industrial beats are only rivalled by Bonobo, increasingly pivoting himself towards superstar status. For British rap fans, the triple threat of Giggs, J Hus and Skepta will prove popular, especially as the latter starts to take America by storm. Finally, indie favourites The xx, nearly at the end of a mammoth 2-year tour, will provide the perfect, dreamy soundtrack to a festival at the peak of its powers.
Parklife 2018 revealed…
RT for the chance to win 4x VIP Weekend tickets –
On sale Thursday 9am sharp!https://t.co/48Wh6GZbLT pic.twitter.com/wPPWPGrXsV
— Parklife 2021 (@Parklifefest) January 30, 2018
Former Glories:
Parklife has often acted as a litmus test for what will be popular in the ensuing years to come, with last year boasting the now ubiquitous festival favourites Tom Misch and Loyle Carner. Enigmatic icon Frank Ocean headlined last year, as did A Tribe Called Quest, on their monumental farewell tour.
Also Look Out For:
The festival boasts a wide variety of food options, including vegetarian and vegan stalls, as well as a generous array of bars. Also noteworthy are the Parklife after parties, going on until 5am and featuring DJs like Jackmaster.
Everything Else:
Limited day tickets are still available, with VIP tickets more expensive. Slightly removed from Manchester city centre, Parklife requires a bit of effort to get to, but a £10 travel card allows you access to shuttle buses taking you straight into the festival.
Tickets are available through the Parklife website.
Words by Matteo Pini
