Virtual Festivals' weekly news round up

Exclusives, rehab, The Pogues, Glasto 2010 and more

United Kingdom | 06 March 2009

Line-ups

Oasis were finally pinned down to a UK festival date this week, with the Gallagher brothers taking the big money ticket at V Festival in August. They joined a bill that also boasts The Killers as well as Fatboy Slim, The Specials, Elbow and erm, Lady GaGa.

Bosses have also launched the annual Road To V competition, which will give two unsigned acts the chance to open this year’s festival. So nick your dad’s guitar, dust off the tape recorder and re-record old Beatles’ tracks with different lyrics and you could fast track your way into being the next Oasis.

Isle Of Wight Festival fans, if you’re still picking your chin up from the floor after Stereophonics were announced as headliners last week, you may want to stick a pillow on the ground to prevent further injury. Festival chiefs confirmed on Thursday that Neil Young will top the bill on the Sunday night. Weren't expecting that? No us neither, but what a bloomin' great booking!

And if all that excitement wasn’t enough, the coup crown of the week goes to Download Festival, who announced that a reformed Faith No More will headline the metal and rock bash on a UK festival exclusive.

There were more exclusives to be found down on the Isle Of Wight too with Bestival announcing that Soulwax will play the main stage on the Friday, before the duo change into their 2 Many DJs guise in the Big Top the same night.

Elsewhere, Beautiful Days confirmed their headliners as The Pogues, The Levellers (of course) and Hawkwind, with the latter using the slot to celebrate 40 years in the business with a very special, and one off, light and laser spectacular. Pendulum, Lamb, Dub Pistols and many will join them with many more announced too.

BD organisers weren’t the only bosses with a tonne of acts to announce this week as The Great Escape added The Maccabees, White Denim, Chairlift and 32 others to their line-up as the event’s early bird ticket offer expired.

On the ticket front, Green Man Festival announced a 'Holiday Ticket' scheme, which will allow revellers to camp at the gorgeous Glanusk Park, Wales for a further three-days for just £30. Plenty of time for excitable festival-goers to jitter at the prospect of seeing the likes of British Sea Power, Bon Iver, Wilco, Peggy Sue and more.

Out of Wales and up to Scotland and The Wickerman Festival released its headliners: The Zutons and The Human League. Billy Bragg will make the event his only Scottish festival of the year as well, with Dreadzone, Zion Train and plenty more announced too. Finally, Pigeon Detectives received their first nod of the summer, confirmed as headliners for the Underage Festival. They won’t be the only ones getting the kids moving as Metronomy, Ladyhawke, Esser and more prepare for the London bash.

Tickets

Passes for V Festival went on sale this week priced at £152 and fans in Chelmsford snapped up the whole allocation, bar coach tickets, in just two hours. There may still be some passes left for the Staffordshire leg that features Oasis, The Killers and a post-rehab Fatboy Slim in August. Click here for availability.

Multiple bookings and failed ticket-buying attempts meant that there were passes left over to see the likes of Kings Of Leon, The Killers, Blur and Snow Patrol at this year’s T In The Park. Check here to see if there are any left for you.

Over on Virtual Festivals Europe…

Fleet Foxes and more have been added to Roskilde's bill, Pet Shop Boys, NIN, Manics set for Oxegen, Aphex Twin will play STRP, The Gossip are heading to Belgium for Les Ardentes, Lenny Kravitz is among the latest acts for Le Vieilles Charrus, Metaltown announced new acts and Snowside Festival was cancelled  "due to certain unforeseen factors including the current economic climate."

And finally…

Glastonbury’s 2010 preparations are already underway, with some very exciting announcements for the festival’s 40th anniversary. Last week we told you they had a headliner already booked and this week co-organiser Emily Eavis revealed some very special news: "It's our first 40th anniversary next year, we're talking to lots of bands at the moment about that, and we want to have a band from every year on the Pyramid stage over the weekend."

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