Organisers of Parklife have just unveiled a blockbuster array of artists for the festival’s 2021 line-up. Having been pushed back from its typical date in June, the festival is now scheduled to take place on September 11th and 12th at Manchester’s Heaton Park.
Talking to NME last month about the return of Parklife this summer, Sacha Lord, co-founder of the festival, said, “We pushed back Parklife to September and we’re confident it will go ahead. We’ve got New Order on the night before and we’re gearing up for success with an 80,000 capacity.”
He added, “We’re not considering operating with social distancing – I personally don’t like these socially distanced events. I think to go to a proper gig or a proper rave you need to be shoulder-to-shoulder in a hot sweaty environment. You cannot create that atmosphere at a socially distanced event.”
The festival has now revealed its full line-up, including some of the biggest names in hip-hop and electronica. Saturday 11th will see artists such as Dave, Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug, Burna Boy, Kaytranada, Carl Cox Peggy Gou, Nines, and Andy C take to the stage. Meanwhile, during an equally impressive line-up on Sunday 12th, artists such as DaBaby, Skepta, Disclosure, AJ Tracey, Jamie XX, Bicep, Slowthai, and Little Simz are also set to perform.
The festival has often drafted in hip-hop and electronica artists; however, since its establishment in 2010, Parklife has increased its focus on these two genres. The festival has also hosted a wide variety of indie artists over the past ten years, including Two Door Cinema Club, The Maccabees, Foals, The 1975, and Bastille. Such acts, however, are not featured at all in the 2021 line-up, which is perhaps indicative of the changing landscape of the UK music scene.
Parklife has a history of putting together exceptional line-ups, with DJ Mag’s Top Festival 2019 list ranking the two-day festival at number 29. This year, the festival’s headliners are a mix of domestic talent and international superstars, with Dave headlining alongside Megan Thee Stallion on Saturday, and Da Baby headlining alongside Skepta on Sunday.
The international artists that will feature at the festival also stretch beyond our American cousins, with Jamaican dancehall and reggae singer Koffee and Grammy Award-winning Nigerian superstar Burna Boy making appearances over the two days. Parklife 2021 will undoubtedly attract a wide-array of music fans from across the country.
Tickets for Parklife were set to go on general sale March 25th (tomorrow) at 10am but have now already sold out through pre-sale.
