Three days of artfully curated music at one of the most idyllic locations in the UK, the Midnight Sun Weekender is a festival of the kind dreams are made of.
Hosted in the stately grounds of Lewis Castle on the remote Island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Midnight Sun is a destination festival with a difference. Inviting internationally recognised, top-line artists to the picturesque Western Isles of Scotland, many of whom, for the very first time, this boutique event will also be the first festival completely powered by green energy sources.
Today, 12th December, the Midnight Sun Weekender can exclusively reveal the first acts who will be launching the inaugural festival in 2023…
Opening the festival with a UK headline exclusive will be one the world’s finest rock propositions… THE PRETENDERS. Led as ever by the eternally cool Chryssie Hynde, the iconic band have amassed an enviable repertoire of hits spanning six decades. With classics like “Talk Of The Town”, “Kid”, “2000 Miles”, “Back On The Chain Gang” and many more to spare, expect to hear material from their hotly anticipated 2023 release ‘Relentless’ too.
Following-up on Friday night will be an act of an equally formidable pedigree… PRIMAL SCREAM. One Scotland’s finest exports with a genre-shredding back catalogue that has turned alternative music on its axis more than a few times, Bobby Gillespie and co. will be storming Lews Castle with a headline set for the ages. From the Acid dipped thrills of ‘Screamdelica’ classics to the techno-entrenched spills of ‘XTRMNTR’ cuts and unexpected hoedown hits like “Country Girl”, expect a diverse and uncompromising set from one of the best live acts in the business.
Delivering a choice line-up of acts across three days, supporting sets will come from longstanding Britpop favourites OCEAN COLOUR SCENE fresh from their wildly successful reunion shows, plus Jason Pierce’s gospel/shoegaze game-changers SPIRITUALIZED as they bring space-age classics and scintillating new cuts from their 2022 album ‘Everything Was Beautiful’.
Elsewhere, Scottish royalty and former Orange Juice founder EDWYN COLLINS will be offering a songwriting masterclass guaranteed to swoon, whereas indie-electronica experts PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING will be bringing the brooding sound of Berlin to the bonny Isle of Lewis as they extend their ‘Bright Magic’ tour.
An opportunity to hear some of the finest rising sounds from Scotland and beyond, alongside a must-see set from Glasgow favourites HONEYBLOOD, performances from ADO MATHESON, THE CHOIR, THE JOSHUA HOTEL, and IZZIE YARDLEY will be providing supporting sets tailor-made for those with fine taste.
With more names still to come, keep your eyes peeled for some very special artists to be announced very soon.
Extending a warm welcome to music fans in search of a getaway like no other, the Midnight Sun Weekender will take place between Thursday 25th May to Saturday 27th May next year.
