Forty new performers announced for Stendhal

Another 40 acts have been announced for this Summer’s Stendhal Festival, despite no longer receiving any funding from Tourism Northern Ireland.

Festival director, Ross Parkhill, says the news on the funding decision, which was announced last week, has created ‘serious financial pressures’, but with just five weeks to go, the best option was to ‘move ahead with their plans’, and hope that additional ticket sales can cover the cut funding.

“To receive this letter, five weeks before our event, with no consultation, is staggering”, he said. “After deliberations with the Stendhal board, we have regrettably been forced to take the decision that weekend camping ticket prices will need to rise further than we previously anticipated, from Monday, June 12.

“We didn’t take this decision lightly, as we take immense pride in the value of our ticket prices, but we have no alternative to attempting to safeguard the future of the festival, again.

“From Covid, to the cost of living, and now severe, probably permanent, funding cuts from our main tourist body, it is only a matter of time before a number of events in this country are gone forever because they are simply unaffordable for organisers.

“But we understand the responsibility we have to our music and arts sector, which is why we are delighted to be able to announce that 40 more acts have recently been added to the bill,” Ross said.

Among the acts that will join the likes of Bell X1, The Wailers, Newton Faulkner and Turin Brakes are; Jack Lukeman, an Irish platinum-selling raconteur; Chalk, a fast-rising Northern Irish act; NI Music Prize Winners Robocobra Quartet; hip-hop artist, Leo Miyagee; country legend, Hugo Duncan; contemporary Trad act, All Folk’d Up; Dylan Kirk and the Killers; the Elixir; Antidote Emcee’s hip-hop showcase; and the Free 2 Dance showcase; alongside some of Northern Ireland’s best DJs.

Stendhal Festival takes place from July 6 to July 8 at Ballymully Cottage Farm, Limavady.

For more information, please visit: ‘www.stendhalfestival.com’.