When these four names stand alone they are indistinguishable from any other. But, put these four names together, side by side, and they are a historical artefact that transformed the world of music history. The four Liverpudlian lads transformed music forever on the fateful day when 15 year old Paul McCartney met 16 year old John Lennon at St. Peter’s, Woolton’s Parish Church. A new generation searching for a breath of fresh air with the decline of conservatism, found it in the revolution of ‘BeatleMania’. The life-changing melodies sent vibrations of the feeling of togetherness and love for all throughout the heart of Liverpool. The pride in being a working class man triggered the blur of class prejudice and was sent into teenagers dancing shoes and twisting hips. A cultural revival was born and it all began with their first performance in the Cavern Club – the soul of Mathew Street, on the 9th of February, 1961. 

No wonder the fans of today are in uproar over the recent announcement that the beloved annual Mathew Street Festival, which honours these unforgettable names, is not taking place in Mathew Street. 

The Liverpool Street Festival has finally been revived after ten years. It will take place across the August Bank Holiday weekend from Friday 23rd – Monday 26th August, 2024. Each day will host a different genre of music. Day one (Friday 23rd) has been deemed the “Liverpool Legends” day. The following day (Saturday 24th) will see big international acts grace the stage and they will be announced next week. Day three (Sunday 25th) is a tribute to honour the festival’s cultural heritage, and finally, the final day (Monday 26th) will be taken over by the Cavern Club to honour the four men who made history.

However, controversy over various social media platforms spiked over the announcement that it will take place on the Waterfront Pier of Liverpool, beneath the Liver building, following the success of 2023 Eurovision, rather than Mathew Street. More controversy is building over the fact that the ticket is not open to all, as people under the age of 18 are prohibited, and it is ticketed at £25 from March 1st. As a result, numerous venues dotted along Mathew Street are hosting tribute acts as a solution to memorialise the sanctity of the old festival and to pay tribute to the four gentlemen who changed music history, and whose statues line the cobbled street. For more information about the line-up for the International Beatles Week, a link can be found here. The venues in the Cavern Quarter participating include: Sgt Peppers, Reminisce, Revolver, McCooleys, Scruffy Murphy, The Grapes, Hardy’s, White Star, O’Briens, Rubber Soul, Eric’s, King John, Kaiserkeller, Heaven, The White Star, Flanagan’s Apple, Kabannas, Legends and Wall of Fame.

According to BBC News, organiser Liam Spence says that: “Having a safe and secure environment down on the Pier Head is definitely the way forward,” because sadly the days of bands on the streets are a distant memory of the past.

The festival was originally created in 1993 to celebrate Merseybeat and the Beatles. However, it was cancelled in 2013 due to expenses, criticism for causing unwanted chaos and the changing landscape which made it difficult to set up stages in the city’s centre. Therefore, the event was replaced with the Liverpool International Music Festival in Sefton Park. This event will take place from August 15- August 31, 2024. It will see over 200 acts representing 20 countries, with over 150 hours of live music.

The event will celebrate the timeline of music, from Liverpudlian Legends, upcoming local talent, renowned international superstars and tribute acts. The event will see people “Come Together” (no pun intended) and the struggles of “Yesterday” will suddenly dissipate when fans are joined in the oasis of music. A protective bubble will wrap itself around viewers who will be joined in the melodies of the past and the present.

Both acts are storming the music industry within their respective genres with multiple BBC, BRIT and DJ awards between them. With hundreds of more acts still to be announced, the festival caters to all music tastes booking indie, pop, rock and dance artists alike. Stormzy has become a household name in the music industry, gracing his way through a wide span of music genres like a knife through butter. He rose to fame through his Wicked Skengman series of freestyles over classic grime beats going on to win multiple awards such as a MOBO in 2014 and British Album of The Year at the BRITs amongst others.

Party starters, Chase and Status released their latest album 2 Ruff Vol. 1 on October 27 this year. The album included their popular single ‘Badadan’ featuring Bou and Flowdan which came out earlier this year in July. 

The duo have also collaborated with UK dance vocalist, Becky Hill on their joint single ​​‘Disconnect’. Hill will be playing her own set at Boardmasters next summer. The singer is known for a multitude of collaborations on tracks such as ‘Afterglow’ with Wilkinson, ‘Gecko’ with Oliver Heldens and ‘Crazy What Love Can Do’ with David Guetta. 

Other dance artists who will be on the bill include the experimental, electronic duo Bicep, who originate from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They have been hailed by the BBC as “one of the biggest names in UK dance” and have had music debuting at number two on the UK Official Albums Chart and number one on the UK Official Vinyl Albums. This led to two BRIT Award nominations. 

Last year the headliners included Lorde, Liam Gallagher and Florence and The Machine. Previous years have seen acts such as The Chemical Brothers, Ed Sheeran, Calvin Harris and Two Door Cinema Club. However some years, the festival had to be cancelled due to poor weather and COVID-19.

The festival was founded in 1981 as a surfing competition and became a home for new music acts in 2005, with festival goers camping at Watergate Bay. The event now consists of surfing and skateboarding competitions happening in and around the town of Newquay and artists playing on stages overlooking the sea. There is currently a maximum capacity of 53,000 surf and music enthusiasts who attend each year. With plenty more artists still to be announced, this festival is one not to miss.

Check out the full line-up below! Tickets are available here

This year’s Glastonbury ticket sale has been moved back by two weeks. This is to ensure that everyone who would like to buy a ticket is registered and therefore eligible to purchase one.

The new dates for Glastonbury ticket sale are as follows:

TICKETS PLUS COACH TRAVEL ON… pic.twitter.com/LL5m3HmuQf

— Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) November 2, 2023

Glastonbury have apologised for the late announcement as prospective ticket buyers were given minimal notice about the change in dates. Organisers issued a statement, saying “We apologise for the late change to the ticket sale dates, but we want to ensure that everyone who would like to buy a ticket for next year’s festival is able to confirm their registration ahead of the sale.”

They also shared more behind their reasoning, saying “Unfortunately, it has come to light that some individuals hoping to buy tickets for 2024 have discovered after Monday’s registration deadline that they are no longer registered, despite believing they were.”

They continued, “Out of fairness to those individuals, we will be re-opening the window for registration at 12 noon on Monday, November 6. It will remain open until 5pm on Monday, November 13.” This decision has not been a popular one however, with many people sharing their frustration on social media.

One Twitter user shared her annoyance at cancelling her plans for the now delayed ticket sale, whilst another called it an “absolute joke.”  

Oh no it’s cool it’s not like we all cancelled our plans and have sat with anxiety all day so you can play your silly little fairness game x — Sophie Thompson (@sophxthompson) November 2, 2023

Absolute joke. There was more than enough time to sort this out. Why delay it? You’re just making it harder for people who are organised. How is that fair?

— James (@19james80) November 2, 2023

No announcements regarding the Glastonbury 2024 lineup have been made yet, however speculation around major players including Taylor Swift, Madonna, Coldplay and Harry Styles has been circulating.

The festival is set to take place from Wednesday 26th June until Sunday 30th June. Tickets will be available to purchase here.

Glastonbury 2023 was filled with iconic performances from the likes of Elton John, Lana Del Rey, Foo Fighters and Blondie, amongst many others. Watch some highlights below.

Here we go… you guessed it: @kinggizzard are heading to Brockwell Park next May. Our most requested headliner EVER We’ve been trying to bring these guys over every year & here we finally ARE!⁠
⁠
Grab your tickets now as they are gonna fly https://t.co/5VBGfqThFH pic.twitter.com/4BKwmOmeGu

— Wide Awake (@wideawakeldn) October 3, 2023

The rest of the line-up is yet to be announced, with more announcements coming soon. This year’s edition of the festival saw Caroline Polachek perform as main headliner, with local bands Black Country, New Road, Warmduscher and Los Bitchos also in attendance. Other notable acts from this summer’s party include American psychedelic/alternative rock legends Osees, Swedish prog-punk pioneers Viagra Boys and Manchester-born, Berlin-based post-punk outfit The Underground Youth.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard has long been a favourite of Wide Awake Festival owner Keith Miller, who has recently described his love of the band in a statement: “We’re so delighted to finally nail down King Gizz! It’ll be 10 years since I first saw them in the Shacklewell [Arms] when they hit the main stage. We’ve tried to bring them over every year, and they were our most requested acts from our fans survey. I caught them up at Manchester Psych Fest in September and it was unreal. You will not be disappointed!”

Fresh off the back of a headline show at the Manchester Academy in September, an event that coincided with Manchester Psych Fest, the prolific and highly energetic Australian band, who transcend music genres as easily as they sell out headline shows, will return to the UK next year to perform for thousands of endlessly loyal supporters.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have also recently announced their 25th studio album, The Silver Cord, and have subsequently released the first three tracks from said album, along with a combined music video of all three songs. The tracks, namely ‘Theia’, ‘The Silver Cord‘ and ‘Set‘, are a perfect testament to the group’s commitment to musical exploration, being experimentally electro in nature and distant from their garage and psychedelic rock beginnings, and certainly different from their previous album release, the thrash metal laden PetroDragonic Apocalypse.

Watch the music video for ‘Theia’, ‘The Silver Cord‘ and ‘Set‘ below:

You can purchase tickets for Wide Awake Festival 2024 here.