Emily Campbell
On the 22nd and the 23rd of June, Nottingham’s Wollaton Hall hosted its 15th annual summer festival, Splendour. This year’s line-up was better than ever, featuring long-loved artists such as Madness, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and the Sugababes, current stars such as Rudimental and Sam Ryder, and up-and-coming individuals like Venbee. Emily Campbell Reviews.
People enthusiastically raised their umbrellas in the air instead of their hands
Despite the weekend’s extremely rainy weather, music lovers still flocked out in numbers dressed in raincoats, ponchos and wellie boots to enjoy the music and the festival’s atmosphere. While people could not sit on the grasslands of the deer grounds, the weather did lend itself to creating a feeling of solidarity amongst the crowds, most notably seen in Sam Ryder’s set when people enthusiastically raised their umbrellas in the air instead of their hands.
The festival was very much a family-friendly event, and, by appealing to all age groups, there was really something for everyone. The Sugababes, who originally formed in 1998, sang out their well-known 2000s hits, such as Push the Button and About You Now, while crowds of fans sang the catchy lyrics back. The trio danced and harmonised, transporting older members of the crowds back to the start of the 2000s, and yet, the songs also have a timeless quality that allows them to also be enjoyed by new, younger listeners.
The festival featured five stages with the biggest acts performing on the main stage or the confetti stage. It also had comedy acts, a silent disco, a funfair and stalls – plenty of activities to be enjoyed. The festival layout was accessible with everything being within easy reach. This allowed festival goers to dip in and out of different sets taking place at the same time.
Rudimental and the Vaccines brought upbeat fun to the festival, initiating a feel-good aura amongst the audience with their summery tunes. Within Rudimental’s set, they invited Venbee onto the stage to sing their collaboration die young. She is clearly a talented singer and a rising star in the dance/electric scene. The Vaccines sang out guitar-focused songs such as ‘If You Wanna’ on the Confetti Stage.
They brought the fun factor with their quirky songs, and despite not being an avid listener I enjoyed their set
The highlights of the weekend were the main stage headliners Madness and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Both acts brought pure musical talent and delivered engaging performances despite it raining throughout both sets. Madness, Saturday Night’s headliner, played their classic hits such as ‘Our House’ and ‘It Must Be Love’. They brought the fun factor with their quirky songs, and despite not being an avid listener I enjoyed their set.
The festival ended with Noel Gallagher. Noel has played few festivals this year so experiencing his music live felt like a rarity and a privilege. We managed to get close to the front to see him and his band in all their glory. Noel was fantastic playing his own recent releases such as ‘Pretty Boy’ but also a collection of Oasis hits towards the end including ‘Look Back In Anger’ and ‘Half the World Away’.
The festival, despite the rain, was an enjoyable weekend, and I look forward to seeing the line=up for next year.
Emily Campbell
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of Emily Campbell. No changes were made to these images.
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