An end of exams favourite amongst Leeds uni students, Parklife festival will again take over Heaton Park in Manchester on the 8th and 9th June. A multi-genre festival and one of the largest the north has to offer, this year’s widely assorted line-up is sure to satisfy pop, hip hop, grime and indie fans alike.
The sheer variety of the Parklife line-up is encapsulated within this year’s headliners, Cardi B and George Ezra, who seem to be on opposite ends of the musical spectrum. Fresh off her Grammy win in February, this will be rapper and meme queen Cardi B’s first UK festival of the year as she takes to the Parklife stage on the Saturday. Performing on the Sunday is the UK’s pop golden boy George Ezra; his fourth appearance at Parklife, Ezra is a favourite amongst festival goers, with his recent number one single Shotgun embodying the feel-good vibes of a summer festival.
The Sounds of the Near Future stage sees a whole host of contemporary talent such as Jungle, whose soulful funk hits such as ‘Casio’ and the adrenaline-filled ‘Busy Earnin’’ are sure to please the crowd. Another favourite is Christine and the Queens, whose second album Chris was released in 2018 and was one of the year’s best, combining emotional depth with danceable synthpop beats. In addition to Jungle, Christine and the Queens and other acclaimed artists such as Loyle Carner and Solange, the Sounds of the Near Future stage also hosts lesser-known talents such as Slowthai. A musician and rapper from Northampton, Slowthai’s “99p tour” in May – which saw him play intimate venues in the UK for 99p a ticket – coupled with the recent release of his debut album have cemented him as a one-to-watch in the UK rap scene.
As well as these titans of pop, hip hop and rap, Parklife has continuously offered a great mix of DJ talent, and this year is no exception, with the festival hosting artists such as Peggy Gou, Patrick Topping and Mella Dee, all of whom are guaranteed to provide the party feel Parklife is known for.
It is clear that Parklife’s diversity is what makes it so popular, with the fact that tickets sold out at the rate they did surely speaking volumes. The amount of talent that is being crammed into one weekend is highly promising, so grab your glitter and a Smirnoff ice as Parklife 2019 is not one to be missed.
Grab your tickets to Parklife here!