Beautiful Days Festival announces full 2024 line-up
BEAUTIFUL DAYS FESTIVAL
ANNOUNCE FULL 2024 LINE UP
16th - 18th AUGUST, ESCOT PARK, DEVON
INCLUDING
RICHARD ASHCROFT, THE SAW DOCTORS, LEVELLERS, RICHARD HAWLEY, FAT FREDDY’S DROP, THE DAMNED,
TOYAH & ROBERT, FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS, NEW MODEL ARMY, HARD FI, INSPIRAL CARPETS, BADLY DRAWN BOY, UTAH SAINTS AND MANY MORE
Beautiful Days have announced the full line-up for their 21styear with names includingRichard Ashcroft, The Saw Doctors, Levellers, Richard Hawley, Fat Freddy’s Drop, The Damned, Toyah & Robert, Fisherman’s Friends, Inspiral Carpets, Badly Drawn Boy, Utah Saintsand many more. The festival has music and entertainment over six stages plus walkabout theatre, amazing site art, a huge children’s area, a vast selection of food and traders plus real ale bars run by Devon’s Otter Brewery. The festival is also well known for their colourful Sunday dressing up themes with the 2024 one still to be announced.
Beautiful Days is the Levellers’ annual family music festival organised by Exeter-based DMF Music since its inception in 2003. Proudly independent, and a firm favourite on the Summer calendar, well over50% of the tickets have already soldfor the 2024 event.
Headlining the Main Stage on Friday night are acclaimed Irish legendsThe Saw Doctors. Discovered by Mike Scott from The Waterboys at a show in Galway in the late 80s, their single ‘I Useta Lover’ hit number one in Ireland in 1990 and remains one of the best-selling Irish singles of all time. Loved and revered by their fans, they staged a triumphant comeback in 2023 after a five-year break in touring.
The festival’s Saturday headliner is two-time Ivor Novello winnerRichard Ashcroft. Frontman with The Verve in the 90’s, they released one of the biggest albums of the era in the shape of 'Urban Hymns' (the UK's 18th biggest selling album of all-time) as well as a succession of anthems which remain staples of his live set today including 'The Drugs Don't Work', 'Bittersweet Symphony' and 'Lucky Man'. Richard has released five Top 5 solo albums, including most recent ‘Acoustic Hymns’ which reached #2 in the UK Album Charts in 2022.
Levellers, as always, headline the Main Stage on the Sunday to close the weekend with a hit-rich set followed by the traditional firework spectacular. The band will also open the festival with a Levellers Collective acoustic set playing different arrangements of their songs including some released on recent album ‘Together All The Way’.
Also playing on the Main Stage are New Zealand’s soul machineFat Freddy's Drop. The seven-piece are internationally regarded as one of the world’s finest live performers and renowned for their bold and electric energy.The Damnedhave brought their 80’s line-up back together in 2024 with Rat Scabies joining Captain Sensible, David Vanian and Paul Gray. With 12 studio albums and several UK chart singles, the band are true pioneers who emerged from the London punk scene. Formed in Bradford in 1980,New Model Armyare storming through their fifth decade and show no signs of letting up. They are currently riding high with their recently released 16th new studio album ‘Unbroken’.
Influential four-piece bandHard-Firecently returned to the live scene after a lengthy hiatus. At their peak, the Staines rockers sold over a million copies of 2005 debut ‘Stars Of CCTV’ and were nominated for the Mercury Prize. A vital component of the infamous ‘Madchester’ movement,Inspiral Carpetsare known for hit singles such as ‘This Is How It Feels’, ‘Saturn 5’ and ‘She Comes in the Fall’. The festival also welcome indie rock bandCastled by frontman John Power. Their classic album 'All Change’ which features the hit singles ‘Alright’ and ‘Finetime’ is approaching its 30th anniversary in 2025.
Also on the Main Stage bill areLottery Winnerswho hit #1 in 2023 with their fifth album ‘Anxiety Replacement Therapy’ helping them quickly become one of the UK biggest and best live bands. Reggae ambassadorsThird World- one of the longest-lived reggae bands of all time, and one of Jamaica's most consistently popular crossover acts among international audiences – also appear on the Main Stage, as doPop Will Eat Itself,who after disbanding and then briefly reforming have now returned full time to live shows and brand new material in 2024.
Additionally announced are 13-piece massiveDutty Moonshine Big Bandwho boast big brass and even bigger bass, festival favouritesDub Pistolswho are still firing on all cylinders after 25 years in the game, exciting and unique Dublin quartetThe Scratch, Bristol-based sea shanty sensationsThe Longest JohnsandThea Gilmore, one of the most distinctive, strident and bold singer songwriters of her generation. Completing the Main Stage line-up are teenage punk powerhouseHotWax, South West electro-modernist guitar groupPale Blue Eyes, quirky and energetic 4-piece3 Daft Monkeys,Pet Needsfounded by brothers Johnny and George Mariott, Bristol 5-pieceHoly Youth Movementand rock rebelsThe Gulls.
Headlining Friday night on the festival’s second stage The Big Top is Mercury and Brit Award nomineeRichard Hawley.Best known for his mix of classic songwriting, soothing vocals and northern grit realism, Richard is something of a unique artist in British popular music, able to cross boundaries from one musical style. Headlining Saturday night are music legendsToyah Willcox and Robert Frippwho have been married for nearly 40 years. With decades of iconic albums and hit singles between them, they connected with audiences worldwide online during the pandemic with the runaway success of their Sunday Lunch series. Sunday headliners in The Big Top are the original Cornish ‘buoy band’ The Fisherman’s Friendswho have nine albums to their name, two feature films, a stage musical, a book, a TV documentary and they’ve played for royalty and to tens of thousands of fans over the years.
Also on The Big Top line-up isPokey Lafarge, a unique musician known for his vintage, old-timey sounds, he dabbles in everything from Americana to ragtime to folk to jazz to blues. The Big Top also features one of the UK’s most treasured songwriters Damon Gough AKABadly Drawn Boy, the powerful and uplifting force that isStornoway,This Is The Kit - the pseudonym of songwriter, banjo strummer and UK born Paris dweller Kate Stables, internationally acclaimed Irish musicianSharon Shannonwith her renowned trio, and surrealist rock ’n’ roller, iconic troubadourRobyn Hitchcock.
Additionally announced are Quebec’s award-winningLe Vent Du Nord,the smokey-voiced roots & blues artistElles Bailey, folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalistAngeline Morrison, effervescent political song-writerGrace Petrie, folk & bluegrass bandPolice Dog Hogan, longstanding urban folk duoChris While & Julie Matthewsand folk/rock collectiveNick Parker & The False Alarms.
The Big Top line-up is completed byKatherine Priddy, one of the most exciting names on the British music scene with her haunting vocals and distinctive finger-picking guitar style, plus singer-songwriterJohn Smith, cross-border bandThe Magpie Arcfeaturing amongst others Nancy Kerr and UK folk legend, guitaristMartin Simpson. Bristol’sGaz Brookfieldand his band The Company Of Thieves, also appears, as do folk duoWilswood Buoys,Guise- the voice and heart of singer-songwriter Jess Guise, and the annual Sunday Service with like-minded knit-wear enthusiastsThe Bar Steward Sons Of Val Doonicansplus special guests.
The Little Big Top plays host toSystem 7, legendary duoUtah Saints, DJ Rapand special guestsKing Kong CompanyplusLeroy Thornhill, Ragga Twins, Mr Bruce, The Nextmen Feat Jman, Gary Clail, Mark XTC, The Beatles Dub Club, Nick Coles, Up Bustle & Out, Hippo Sound System, Kaptin Barrett, The Reggaskas, DJ Ambiessence, Ladylmelza, Frankie G, Melosa, DJ Shinybeast, King Farmer,Big Fish Little Fish’s family rave and aSilent Disco.
The seated Theatre Tent will welcomeCircus Of Horrors, comedy fromPaul Tonkinson, productions byLe Navet Bete, Rubbish Shakespeare CompanyandUnder The Bed Theatre CompanyplusRachel Modestwho presents Women Of Soul, Jim Causley and Miranda Sykes who present Songs & Stories Of Sabine Baring Gouldplus festival favouritesEntertainingly Differentwith their Rise n Shine morning shows.
The line-up forThe Bimble InnandThe Rebel Tentare still to be come. Pop-up folk/roots sessions will return in The Fiddler’s Arms curated byGeoff Lakeman. And the festival also welcomes back The Magic Teapot who were a welcome addition in 2023 – a unique amplifier-free, unprogrammed venue with a piano and a fire burning at its heart.
Tickets for the 2024 event are on sale now and selling fast with over 50% sold.Bell Tents and campervan passes have nearlySOLD OUTbut there are still tipi or yurt options still available or general family camping. For information about Accessibility, go to the festival website.
Buy Tickets: www.beautifuldays.org/tickets
16 – 18 August 2024
Festival address: Escot Park, Devon, EX11 1LU
Festival website: www.beautifuldays.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/beautifuldaysfestival/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/beautifuldaysfestival
X: www.twitter.com/BDsfestival
Full list of bands announced:
MAIN STAGE
THE SAW DOCTORS - RICHARD ASHCROFT - LEVELLERS - FAT FREDDY'S DROP - THE DAMNED - NEW MODEL ARMY – HARD-FI - INSPIRAL CARPETS - CAST - LOTTERY WINNERS - THIRD WORLD - POP WILL EAT ITSELF - DUTTY MOONSHINE BIG BAND - DUB PISTOLS - THE SCRATCH - THE LONGEST JOHNS - THEA GILMORE - HOTWAX - PALE BLUE EYES - 3 DAFT MONKEYS - PET NEEDS - HOLY YOUTH MOVEMENT - THE GULLS
THE BIG TOP
RICHARD HAWLEY - TOYAH & ROBERT - FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS - POKEY LAFARGE - BADLY DRAWN BOY - STORNOWAY - THIS IS THE KIT - THE SHARON SHANNON TRIO - ROBYN HITCHCOCK - LE VENT DU NORD - ELLES BAILEY - ANGELINE MORRISON - GRACE PETRIE - POLICE DOG HOGAN - CHRIS WHILE & JULIE MATTHEWS - NICK PARKER & THE FALSE ALARMS - KATHERINE PRIDDY - JOHN SMITH - THE MAGPIE ARC - GAZ BROOKFIELD & THE COMPANY OF THIEVES - WILSWOOD BUOYS - JESS GUISE - THE BAR STEWARD SONS OF VAL DOONICAN’S SUNDAY SERVICE - LEVELLERS COLLECTIVE
THE LITTLE BIG TOP
SYSTEM 7 - UTAH SAINTS - DJ RAP - KING KONG COMPANY - LEROY THORNHILL - RAGGA TWINS - MR BRUCE - THE NEXTMEN FEAT JMAN - GARY CLAIL - MARK XTC - THE BEATLES DUB CLUB - NICK COLES - UP BUSTLE & OUT - HIPPO SOUND SYSTEM - KAPTIN BARRETT - THE REGGASKAS - DJ AMBIESSENCE - LADYLMELZA - FRANKIE G - MELOSA - DJ SHINYBEAST - KING FARMER - BIG FISH LITTLE FISH - SILENT DISCO
THEATRE TENT
CIRCUS OF HORRORS - PAUL TONKINSON - LE NAVET BETE - RUBBISH SHAKESPEARE COMPANY - RACHEL MODEST PRESENTS WOMAN OF SOUL - JIM CAUSLEY AND MIRANDA SYKES PRESENT SONGS & STORIES OF SABINE BARING GOULD - UNDER THE BED THEATRE COMPANY - ENTERTAININGLY DIFFERENT
