Organisers have confirmed the first wave of acts set for Standon Calling 2023 in the Hertfordshire countryside next summer.
Years & Years, Self Esteem, Bloc Party, and The Human League have been announced as the headliners of Standon Calling from Thursday, July 20 to Sunday, July 23.
The four headliners will appear alongside the likes of Katy B, Anastacia, KT Tunstall, and Melanie C across the four-day festival weekend.
Standon Calling's 17th edition will also feature acts such as Dylan, Confidence Man, Squid, Sad Night Dynamite and Lynks.
Following 2022's gender balanced line-up, Standon Calling has raised the bar with even greater representation in its 2023 headline slots.
Riding high off the back of acclaimed new album Night Call, and a lead role in hit drama TV series It’s A Sin, British pop icon Olly Alexander is set to bring the spectacular Years & Years experience to Standon Calling for an uplifting and danceable headline set.
A testament to her dominating rise, Self Esteem makes Standon Calling history by becoming the first artist to make the leap from a Laundry Meadows headliner to the top of the main stage bill the very next year.
Self Esteem’s cathartic and choreographed set next summer will be something to behold, as Rebecca Lucy Taylor brings her NME, BRIT and Mercury Prize-nominated album Prioritise Pleasure to life.
For all those that witnessed the closing show this summer on Laundry Meadows will know the raw power of this performance and its potential to shine in front of the main arena crowd.
Closing the show with a bang, Bloc Party completes this huge headline reveal.
Boasting a formidable live reputation and a deep catalogue spanning 20 years of hits, from their era-defining Silent Alarm album to their new release Alpha Games, the band are a firm favourite and a perfect fit for Sunday night at Standon.
Kicking off the show on Thursday night is another iconic British act.
Don't You Want Me 1980s chart-toppers The Human League are headed to Hertfordshire for an iconic synth-pop display.
Fronted by Philip Oakey, the pioneering Sheffield group arrive ready with a festival set packed with five decades of hits, including Mirror Man, Human, Tell Me When, (Keep Feeling) Fascination, Love Action (I Believe in Love) and 1981 Christmas number one Don't You Want Me from album Dare.
It's sure to bring everyone together in electric dreams next summer!
Speaking about today’s line-up announcement, festival founder and director Alex Trenchard said: “2022 was an incredibly special year for all of us at Standon Calling.
“It’s given us so much excitement to look forward to 2023, in what is shaping up to be the greatest Standon Calling to date.
“We’re so proud of this year’s progress in booking a gender-balanced headline bill and are certainly in for a good time. Couldn’t be happier to bring Self Esteem back and in an even bigger slot, alongside Bloc Party, an all-time favourite of ours and one of the greatest modern alternative indie rock bands around.
“With more iconic names like Years & Years, The Human League and many more, we’ve booked some of the best live acts going, including future superstars ready to take over 2023 and much more - this announcement really captures everything important about Standon Calling.
“We can’t wait to see everyone next July, and we’ve got a LOT more surprises to come - so stay tuned!”
As well as the main stage headliners, Standon Calling promises a diverse weekend of music from big names to fresh talent.
Huge crowds are expected to fill the main arena for American superstar Anastacia, bringing multi-platinum hits and plenty of glamour to Standon Lordship next July.
I Turn To You, Never Be the Same Again, and Northern Star solo singer Melanie C will bring some 'girl power' to Standon, and will no doubt perform some of Spice Girls' biggest hits.
Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, best known for singles Suddenly I See and Black Horse and the Cherry Tree, and Dylan, one of the UKs most exciting new stars, will also appear.
Funky house star Katy B will be bringing beats to the new-look Electric Willows stage - Standon’s home of dance, nestled in the atmospheric woodland - and will be joined by a range of DJs including Erol Alkan and Girls of The Internet, plus more to be revealed.
After becoming one of the most talked about live shows of the past 12 months, the rising hip-hop, dub and psychedelia masters Sad Night Dynamite head to Standon Calling for their long-awaited debut.
The electro-dance swing of Confidence Man will also return to Standon Calling next summer, after a rapturous 2018 debut.
For those looking for more weird and wonderful bands who really push the envelope, look no further than Brighton’s post-punk, disco-funk phenomenon Squid, who take their turn to headline Laundry Meadows on the Friday night.
The family-friendly festival also boasts its own onsite swimming pool and riverside hot tubs, a famous dog show, and colourful costume parade.
Tickets for Standon Calling 2023 are on sale now and available via the website at www.standon-calling.com/ticket
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