Bestival reveals the most colorful line up on Earth
With bad weather marring an otherwise great weekend last year, Bestival is back for 2018, and this year it’s slap bang in the midsummer heat (we hope). Taking place from the 2-5 August at Lulworth Estate in Dorset, the festival has pulled out all of the stops to make 2018 a year to remember.
As ever, it isn’t just the main acts that have got us excited, with a human cannonball, the world’s largest disco ball and the intriguingly named ‘Dubstep Dodgems’ all vying for attention amongst the music. Because the lineup announcement is full to bursting, and because we live to make your lives easier, we thought we’d sift through and bring you a rundown of five must see acts from across the weekend. From headliners all the way to up and coming stars, if you’re looking for five reasons to get even more excited, look no further…
MIA
In 2017 M.I.A curated Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre, joining the ranks of former curators including David Bowie and Jarvis Cocker. She’s a pretty big deal is what we’re saying. A rare blend of rap talent and unashamedly in-your-face politics, M.I.A really isn’t like anybody else, which is what makes her such a great fit for Bestival. Expect banging tunes and incredible set design, just maybe give it a miss if you like Theresa May.
Ghetts
A legend on the grime scene, Ghetts has finally started to get the wider recognition he deserves. From a features on Stormzy’s ‘Bad Boys’ to solo tracks like ‘One Take’, Ghetts really is one of the best in the game. A machine gun delivery and unique flow mean that if you like grime, you need to see him.
Jorja Smith
Jorja Smith shot to stardom last year after featuring on Drake’s More Life playlist, but she was basically destined to be up there anyway. You don’t win the Brits Critic’s Choice Award if you aren’t good, especially when you haven’t even released a full-length album yet. Expect silky smooth R&B with bite. After all, she once wrote an A-level essay titled “Is Postcolonialism Still Present in Grime Music?”, so she’s clearly got something to say.
Shame
Shame’s debut album was only released in January, it’s already being touted as a possible album of the year. Taking the torch of Fat White Family and running with it (even rehearsing in the same South London pub), Shame are all snarling vocals and social commentary. Lead singer Charlie Steen is a hell of a frontman too, so expect plenty of on-stage shenanigans.
Thundercat
Thundercat may have reached a wider audience than ever before for his work on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, but it’s his latest project Drunk that really makes him an exciting prospect live. Managing to flit between genres seemingly at will, but keep the groove going no matter what, the only thing more wide-ranging than Thundercat’s influences are his fans, who include not just Kendrick, but Pharrell , Wiz Khalifa and even Kenny Loggins, all of whom contributed to Drunk.
Words by Jake Hawkes