Noel Gallagher’s High Flying birds have been announced as one of the headline acts for Splendour Festival 2023 at Wollaton Park.
The rock and roll icon and his band will top the bill on Sunday, July 23.
Madness have also been unveiled as headliners on the Saturday July 22 line-up, while The Kooks, Rudimental, Sugababes, Sam Ryder, Confidence Man and Altered Images were also announced today.
It is the second year running the festival has been spread across two days, following the success of a weekend event in 2022 which was led by Richard Ashcroft and Anne-Marie.
Anton Lockwood, Director of Live at DHP Family, which organises Splendour, said: “We’re absolutely over the moon to have secured two bona fide music legends for the Splendour weekend.
“Madness has been one of the most requested acts of the Splendour audience time and time again, and Noel and his band have been on our wish list for years.
“Following the success of last year’s debut two-day music festival, it was obvious that there was an appetite for a full weekend of Splendour. Once again, people can expect a fantastic mix of rising stars, Splendour debutantes and well-established heavy hitters.
“We have more up our sleeves and will be revealing the full line-up in the coming months.”
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds first emerged in 2011 with an eponymous album that went double platinum in the UK, and has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide.
Following 3 UK Number 1 studio albums, June 2021 saw the release of ‘Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011-2021)’ – a best of album.
Gallagher is known as one of the most enduring songwriters in British music history – having first reached superstardom in the 1990s as songwriter and lead guitarist with Oasis.
The July show is part of an extended run of open air summer shows that will follow the release of Gallagher’s new album ‘Council Skies’ released on 2nd June.
Madness is one of the most prominent bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s two-tone revival, known for blending ska rhythms with catchy melodies.
During the 80s, the band’s songs spent a total of 214 weeks on the UK Singles Charts, with 15 tracks reaching the UK Top Ten.
The band has remained a local favourite since a 2009 Splendour headliner slot, and according to organisers DHP are the most requested act by the festival crowd.
The organisers also announced the introduction of a payment plan ticket option, offering ticket buyers a flexible option to split the cost of their ticket into monthly instalments between now and the event in July.
George Akins, managing director of DHP Family, said: “The introduction of a flexible payment plan makes it easier for ticket holders to spread the cost over several months, something we hope will help during the cost-of-living crisis.
“Everybody should have the opportunity to have a great time and enjoy live music.”
To make sure families from across the East Midlands can enjoy Splendour together, a new 11-17-year-old youth ticket has also been introduced, while children aged 10 and under can attend for free with an accompanying adult. Keen festival fans can also act fast to get their hands on an exclusive Early Bird Weekend ticket on sale from 10am on Friday morning.
Splendour has been held at Wollaton Park in Nottingham since its first outing in 2008.
Each year a mix of rising national acts, global icons and local favourites, as well as fringe performers and comedians, appear on five stages in front of crowds which can total 30,000.
Highlights including the best performances of every festival appear on Notts TV following each event.
The Confetti Stage at Splendour is run in partnership with Nottingham’s Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, a leading provider of creative industry education.
This year marks the tenth time the festival has teamed up with the organisation.
Craig Chettle MBE, Chief Executive of Confetti, said: “We’re over the moon to once again be supporting Splendour, and in its 15th year no less. For a decade now, hundreds of staff and students from Confetti and Notts TV have worked alongside professional crews to produce, stage and film Nottingham’s biggest and best outdoor festival.
“From the aspiring Confetti artists who join the line-up, to the talented students working behind the scenes, it’s a highlight of our year. We’re proud to be part of this important milestone for Splendour and the city of Nottingham. Get ready for another weekend of superb family entertainment.”
Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Planning at Nottingham City Council, said: “It’s great that Splendour is returning to Nottingham this July for its 15th year, following the huge success of last year. We are proud that Wollaton Park will once again host Nottinghamshire’s leading music festival for two days, giving local artists and musicians the chance to perform alongside internationally renowned acts. This year’s line-up looks set to be one of the best yet.”
Tickets for Splendour Festival 2023 go on sale at 10am on Friday 3 February, with an exclusive early bird price for weekend tickets priced at £92 for adults.
City residents weekend tickets are priced at £82.80. Accompanied children aged 10 and under go free. Day tickets are also available, along with VIP tickets. More information is available at splendourfestival.com.
Splendour 2023 in profile: Also on the bill
Indie rock band The Kooks broke into the musical mainstream with their debut album ‘Inside In/Inside Out’ (2006), which went on to achieve quadruple platinum status in the UK within a year, overseas in the form of a platinum certification in Australia and two times platinum in Ireland. Almost two decades since forming, The Kooks continue to experience career highs and are sure to have everyone singing along to hits such as ‘She Moves in Her Own Way’ and ‘Naive’.
Rudimental is one of the UK’s most successful dance acts of the last decade. Multiple chart entries, two number one albums, three number one singles, five billion streams, four albums, world tours, platinum-selling singles plus a plethora of awards have cemented their position as trailblazers with a formidable reputation for producing hit records.
Sugababes will also be making their Splendour debut. The pop superstars are one of the most successful British girl bands of the 21st century with six number one singles including the perfect pop tracks ‘Round Round’, ‘Freak Like Me’ and ‘Push The Button’, millions of global sales and several multi-platinum albums. Fast forward two decades, the original line-up of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy are back in full force and becoming the talk of the summer festival scene.
Sam Ryder has quickly become a household name after his Eurovision success. Following his incredible run with ‘Space Man’ and the Eurovision Song Contest, bagging the highest charting UK Eurovision entry in 26 years, his single is one of the biggest selling singles of 2022. Ryder is also nominated for Best New Artist at the 2023 Brit Awards, becoming the first Eurovision act to be selected in this category.
Indie electro pop act Confidence Man will fire up the party vibes. The Brisbane band is unarguably one of the hottest acts on the planet right now, with their performances custom designed to make the crowd dance and lose their cool. Formed in 2016, they have already played at some of the biggest festivals in the world.
Scottish post-punk band Altered Images quickly found success in the early 80s, achieving worldwide fame selling millions of records, which topped the charts in several countries. They recorded three Top 10 Albums and had six UK Top 40 hits, including ‘Happy Birthday’, ‘I Could Be Happy’, and ‘Don’t Talk to Me About Love’. Singer Clare Grogan will also be familiar to many from the Scottish coming of age film, Gregory’s Girl.
