2013 sees Leeds Festival move into its 15th year with its biggest and broadest ever selection of music, and today’s announcement has seen the line-up swell to over 200 artists in total. Most of these are up-and-coming acts due to play on the BBC Introducing Stage, including the winners of this year’s Futuresound competition.
Announcing the stage’s line-up, festival organiser Melvin Benn was keen to state the importance of new music to the festival, even going so far as to say “I think it’s a waste of time to be listening to music that’s more than a year old.” Bold words indeed – so without further ado, here’s the full roster of bands:
Amber / As Elephants Are / Casablanca / Catfish & The Bottlemen / City Of Lights / Crusades
Denai Moore / The Glass Caves / The Grand / I Divide / Jaws / Joel Baker / King No-One
Lonely The Brave / Man Can’t Fly / Mausi / Modo Stare / Peasants King / Prides / Saint Raymond
Ruen Brothers / Slaves / Sundara Karma / Theory 59 / Thumpers / To Be Frank / Tripwires
We Are Fiction / We Are Knuckle Dragger / Witch Hunt / Zaheer
Plenty to chew on there, and great to see some York and Leeds-based bands making it on to the bill thanks to Futuresound. Speaking of which, Soundsphere favourites Battle Lines (pictured) will open the Festival Republic stage on Friday 23rd August after being declared overall winners of this year’s Futuresound competition, so congratulations to them! Brighton-based psych-rock band The Wytches are another late addition to the Festival Republic stage, playing on Saturday 24. Over on the Lock-Up stage, Bath post-hardcore outfit Decade have been added to the bill for Sunday 25.
Dance To The Radio are once again getting in on the action this year, starting the festival early with their now-traditional Thursday night opening party. The line-up this year is an excellent representation of northern talent, with Manchester’s Dutch Uncles and Sheffield’s The Crookes joining Leeds’ own Black Moth, Hookworms, and Menace Beach.
Rounding out the new additions are a smattering of new acts for the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage, comprising Bipolar Sunshine, Stay Positive, Parachute Youth (all playing on the 23rd) and Benin City (playing on the 24th).
Of course, all this on top of a line-up that already includes headliners Biffy Clyro, Green Day, and Eminiem on the Main Stage, Phoenix, Skrillex and Alt-J on the NME/Radio 1 Stage, and many, many more artists besides. For full details, head to the official Leeds Festival website.
