Lindisfarne Festival – Saving the Best Until Last?
- adamkennedy79
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Today marks the 1st of September, and some might say, the start of Autumn. But before we head into the season of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Halloween, and the beautiful orange foliage that comes with this time of year, I managed to squeeze in just one more summer music festival. And what can we say – after several months of trawling up and down the country at some of the UK’s biggest events, perhaps the highlight of the season was on our very own doorstep in Northumberland.
Now, which festival are you talking about – I hear you ask? For the last ten years, music aficionados have descended upon Beal Farm in Northumberland every summer for the annual Lindisfarne Festival. The three-day event is this year celebrating its milestone tenth anniversary. After speaking with many attendees on site at the event, they declared it the best one yet.
Subsequently, it’s no surprise that this year’s Lindisfarne Festival was a sell-out. Every year, its loyal fraternity makes its pilgrimage to Beal Farm for the boutique event. But what is it that makes Lindisfarne Festival so special? Firstly, the location is a little slice of heaven. Set adjacent to the causeway to Holy Island, the festival site boasts an unparalleled backdrop. Set deep in the heart of Northumberland, with little in the way of light pollution, you just have to glance up on an evening to see the night sky like you’ve never seen it before. Twinkling stars, as far as the eye can see. And whether you are up early to catch the sunrise, or watch the sky change colour as the sun sets over the causeway, the sky over Lindisfarne is breathtaking whatever time you perceive it.
Whilst many festivals are like sprawling metropolises where it takes an Ordnance Survey map and a compass to get from one side to the other, the beauty of Lindisfarne Festival is how compact it is. It’s a boutique festival at its best. The stages are close together, meaning there’s no stressing getting from one tent to the next to catch your favourite bands.
The diversity of Lindisfarne Festival’s eclectic programming really means there is something there for everyone. Outside of the event’s two main stages this year, highlights included the Dub Shack, which had festival punters dancing under the moonlight to the converted VW van’s dub/reggae sound system until the early hours. And, the Shanti Bee Healing Tent, for those who wanted to get in touch with their spiritual side.
But perhaps what is one of the most wonderful aspects of the festival is the sense of community at Lindisfarne. Whether you are up early taking a walk around the festival grounds, you don’t have to go too far before someone stops you and says ‘morning’ before having a chat and introducing you to their dog. For which there were many at this pooch-friendly festival. There was no hassle or trouble, just good vibes and friendly banter all weekend long.
Unlike a lot of festivals, Lindisfarne is not about mega-stars or egos; you are not going to find those types of acts on the bill. Instead, one thing that the festival truly promotes is local talent, for which there was a lot on the lineup.
Acts like Darlington’s own country star Hayley McKay, rockers Not Now Norman from just up the road in Berwick, Yorkshire-based pop/rock quartet Syteria, and Sunderland’s award-winning Witch Pop Pioneer Shannon Pearl drew large crowds on the main stage throughout the course of the three-day event.
At the weekend, Lindisfarne Festival proved to be a supportive platform for emerging artists to showcase their talents on the big stage.
But what of the headliners? Armand Van Helden’s earth-shattering bass lines and 90’s dance anthems provided a nostalgic and somewhat enjoyable finale to Friday’s proceedings. Hip-hop legends the Sugarhill Gang schooled the Lindisfarne crowd on Saturday evening with their arsenal of rap classics and lyrical prowess.
And as the sun went down on another year at Lindisfarne, the Waterboys proved to be one of the many highlights of the weekend. Their smash hit ‘The Whole of the Moon’ was always going to be a special moment of the weekend, and it did not disappoint.
After several months of summer festivals – Lindisfarne, you saved the best until last.
Words and Photos by Adam Kennedy
Comments