‘I like all the history with the Dunlops': Stereophonics bassist Jones shares love of NW200 and Celtic connections ahead of Belsonic opener
Rock icons Stereophonics are getting set to kick off this year's Belsonic, the month-long music extravaganza in Belfast's Ormeau Park.
And founder member Richard Jones joked that while the band are ready for another blistering show, he hopes it won't be as dramatic as an abiding memory from a previous visit.
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BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Belsonic: Charli XCX, Snow Patrol and Stereophonics among Ormeau Park headline acts
More than 100,000 music lovers are expected to gather at Belfast's Ormeau Park in the next few weeks for Belsonic. The annual outdoor music festival kicks off on Thursday night and runs until the end of the month. The first headliners are Welsh band Stereophonics. "Hopefully it doesn't rain. We'll be all right.... we've got our raincoats," lead singer Kelly Jones told BBC Radio Ulster's Vinny & Cate show. Jones said a recent world tour proves they are not a band that relies on "being a phase" from the 1990s and that their music "is still appealing to new audiences". "There are kids in the front row," he added. Who is playing Belsonic 2025? Snow Patrol, Alanis Morissette, Charli XCX, the DJ BLK and Justin Timberlake are among a host of other big names set to take to the stage this Classical, featuring the Ulster Orchestra, are headlining on Saturday while Catfish and the Bottlemen are performing the following Saturday (15 June). Justin Timberlake will perform on 26 June, supported by Jess dance music fans, the Boiler Room will see Dutch DJ and producer Chris Stussy team up with KETTAMA, a DJ and producer from Galway, on 28 June. Alanis Morissette will wrap up the festival on 30 June. Festival Director Alan Simms said when deciding on the acts they aim for "a broad range of music that appeals to as broad a range of people as possible". He said personally he was looking forward to seeing Snow Patrol as they had been trying to get them for many years but for "diaries and for other reasons it hasn't panned out" in the past. What time does Belsonic begin and end? The gates at Ormeau Park will open at 18:00 BST and close at 21:45 says the curfew is usually about 23:00 BST but times will be posted on social media on the day of the event. How do I get to Belsonic by public transport? Translink says while there will be no special shuttle buses in Belfast for the gigs, scheduled Metro bus services connect with Ormeau you are travelling from the north west, special Goldliner coach services are operating from and to Foyle Street Buscentre in Londonderry for all of the events, with the exception of the Madness concert. There will also be additional rail services running throughout information is available here. Ormeau Park road closures Ormeau Embankment is set to be closed from Ravenhill Road to Ormeau Road from 16:00 BST on the dates of the will remain closed for a period after each concert, so the public is asked to be aware of this if arranging a safe collection about accessibility parking and facilities during Belsonic are available here. Are there age restrictions for Belsonic gigs? The Lush Classical, BLK. and Boiler Room gigs are strictly over 16s only and Belsonic says valid ID will be 16s can attend all the other performances, but will require a parent or guardian who is also a ticket holder to accompany them. There are also some age restrictions on who can enter the front standing section.
Wales Online
10 hours ago
- Wales Online
BBC Radio 2 In The Park 2025 ticket prices and how to book for huge music festival
BBC Radio 2 In The Park 2025 ticket prices and how to book for huge music festival The festival will be held in Chelmsford's Hylands Park this September Stereophonics, Ella Henderson, Jessie J and Bryan Adams are all billed to perform (Image: BBC ) The 2025 edition of the BBC Radio 2 In The Park festival is set to take place in Chelmsford's Hylands Park this September. The massive event will span three days in the Essex city. Big names from the music industry, including Bryan Adams and Def Leppard, are set to headline the weekend, with other performers including Stereophonics, Ella Henderson and Jessie J. The event will also see a host of Radio 2 presenters head to the city for the weekend, with a Friday night DJ party kicking off the festival, following its successful debut at last year's event. Tickets are now available to purchase. There are 7,000 tickets available for the Friday night DJ stage. For Saturday and Sunday, just over 35,000 tickets will be up for grabs each day, reports Essex Live. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here . Ticket prices for BBC Radio 2 In The Park 2025 Tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday are on sale now. Tickets for the Radio 2 in the Park Pre-Party on Friday are priced at £32 (plus booking fee). Tickets for Saturday and Sunday start from £63 (plus booking fee) but listeners and viewers can catch all the action live throughout the weekend on Radio 2, BBC Sounds and iPlayer. Friday ticket prices General Admission - No Chair: £32 (+ £3 booking fee) per person Essex Residents General Admission - No Chair: £32 (+ £3 booking fee) per person Saturday ticket prices General Admission - No Chair: £63 (+ £5 booking fee) per personEssex Residents General Admission - No Chair: £63 (+ £5 booking fee) per person General Admission - Bring Your Own Chair: £63 (+ £5 booking fee) per person Essex Residents General Admission - Bring Your Own Chair: £63 (+ £5 booking fee) per person Enhanced Area with Grandstand Seat and Garden Access: £165 (+ £6.60 booking fee) per person Enhanced Area with Garden Access Only: £100 (+ £5 booking fee) per person Sunday ticket prices General Admission - No Chair: £63 (+ £5 booking fee) per person Essex Residents General Admission - No Chair: £63 (+ £5 booking fee) per person General Admission - Bring Your Own Chair: £63 (+ £5 booking fee) per person Essex Residents General Admission - Bring Your Own Chair: £63 (+ £5 booking fee) per person Enhanced Area with Grandstand Seat and Garden Access: £165 (+ £6.60 booking fee) per person Enhanced Area with Garden Access Only: £100 (+ £5 booking fee) per person How to get tickets for BBC Radio 2 In The Park 2025 All ticket sales will be managed by Ticketmaster, the sole official ticketing agent for Radio 2 In The Park. To secure a ticket, customers will need to queue on Ticketmaster's platform, which you'll need to have an account for. They've advised that you register for an account before tickets become available so you can join the queue promptly. Just under a third of general admission tickets will be reserved for residents within the Essex area. To qualify for these tickets, locals will need to input their home address postcode at the time of purchase. Essex residents will have until 8.30am on Wednesday, June 11, to buy from their reserved allocation. BBC Radio 2 In The Park 2025 line-up Friday (September 5) Scott Mills' Wonder Years DJ Spoony's Good Grove Michelle Visage's Handbag Hits Rylans Rybiza Hits Vernon Kay's Dance Sounds of the 90s Saturday (September 6) Jessie J Belinda Carlisle Ronan Keating Marti Pellow Kid Creole and The Coconuts Stereophonics Ella Henderson Sunday (September 7) Article continues below Def Leppard Sophie Ellis-Bextor Suede David Gray LouiseSoul II Soul Anastacia
Daily Record
11 hours ago
- Daily Record
Rod Stewart facing eye-watering cost of Glastonbury set as his children make sacrifice for show
Sir Rod Stewart is set to play the coveted Legends Slot at Glastonbury in just a few weeks time and is planning on pulling out all the stops for what is likely to be his final major festival performance. Glastonbury musical festival goers are set to witness a historic moment during its Sunday evening Legends Slot. In previous years, music icons including Lionel Richie, Kylie Minogue and Dolly Parton have all entertained audiences in the coveted closing spot but this summer, it will be Sir Rod Stewart who graces the Pyramid Stage. However, this is not the 80-years-old's first time at Glastonbury, having played the festival back in 2002 with Coldplay and Stereophonics. However, the singer's upcoming summer gig promises to be an extraordinary show. Sir Rod is also said to be planning a raucous weekend with his band and pals ahead of the landmark performance. Not all of his music buddies will be there though as the Maggie May star confessed that he doesn't see old pals like Ronnie Wood or Sir Elton John as often anymore because "they don't drink and I still do. They stay away from me... bad influence!" However, Rod, who has shifted some 200 million records over his six-decade long career, will need to start looking after his own health too, after he recently had to cancel a Las Vegas show due to a nasty throat infection, Glasgow Live reports. While he has no plans to officially retire, the rock icon announced that his 2025 European and North American shows would mark the end of his "large-scale world tours," with future performances set to take place at smaller venues. Rod will indeed be going out with a bang at Glastonbury as he revealed to BBC'S Sidetracked with Annie and Nick that he's splashing out almost £300,000 on his Sunday show. Despite being the festival's headliner, Sir Rod said he doesn't receive a guest list and that three of his eight kids will be buying their own tickets. The singer said he offered to cover the price of his family's tickets himself but his children opted to pay their own way to witness their father's final major festival performance. While Sir Rod's payment for the event remains unknown, Glastonbury headliners typically earn no more than £250,000, a figure confirmed by organiser Emily Eavis who noted that acts receive less than 10% of what they could command elsewhere. A significant amount of the costs will cover transporting his band and gear from California, with the ensemble set to reside in a Bath hotel for the duration of the festival. Sir Rod expressed his anticipation for an unforgettable weekend celebrating with his bandmates. In addition to his regular band, which includes guitarist Don Kirkpatrick, long-time bassist Conrad Kirsch and violinist J'anna Jacoby, Sir Rod has revealed plans to reunite with former Faces bandmate and current Rolling Stone, Ronnie Wood. He also plans to have a small orchestra on stage with him for his ballads, such as Tonight's the Night and I Don't Want to Talk About It. The singer has admitted it will be tough to fit in all of his classic hits during the 75-minute slow. To make the most of his time on stage, he plans to keep his between-song chatter to a minimum, although admits he will pause for the occasional sip of Bacardi and Coke. He said: "It's the only thing I drink and I only drink it when I do gigs. " The 80-year-old also has no plans to stop recording anytime soon with a new album featuring Rod and former Faces bandmates Ronnie Wood and Kenney Jones due to be released in 2026. Speaking about the new album with music Craig McLean, Sir Rod said that there are "15 tracks that are extremely worthy, some old, some new."
