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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Review: Yacht Club festival kicks off second year with energetic Friday lineup
If opening day of the Minnesota Yacht Club music festival is any indication of what the rest of the weekend will hold, the success of last year's inaugural festival was no mere beginner's luck. On a relatively cool Friday afternoon, Harriet Island Regional Park felt bustling as soon as the festival gates opened at 12:30 and became even more electric as tens of thousands of people filled the park throughout the afternoon. (Official attendance numbers were not made available but, in the lead-up to the festival, organizers anticipated daily attendance at about 35,000.) The 2024 festival drew about 70,000 people to Harriet Island and, despite snags like pre-festival park floods and one band's last-minute cancellation, was well-received by both critics and fans. For this year, the festival is expanded from two to three days and features headliners including Hozier, Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer and one of the first scheduled performances from Alabama Shakes since 2017. C3 Presents, the company that runs the Yacht Club as well as other festivals like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, has also added additional concession stands and amenities to alleviate lines. As of Friday, most three-day ticket packages and single-day tickets for Friday and Sunday were sold out. This translates to millions of dollars in economic impact for the city of St. Paul, according to Visit Saint Paul spokesperson Chelsea Fey, who said many downtown hotels are nearly sold out for the weekend. And despite some frustration caused by all of St. Paul's Green Line light rail stations going offline for Metro Transit construction during the festival, transportation to the festival was fairly smooth, many attendees said. Most interviewed Friday said they chose to either drive — and park downtown or nearby on the West Side — or take rideshares like Uber or Lyft, despite some complaints from attendees last year about high prices or long wait times for post-festival rides. 'It sucks that the Green Line wasn't running,' said Alex Calametti, attending the festival with two family members. 'It would've been a lot easier to not have to pay for parking.' Other festival-goers arrived by more creative means: Bill May of St. Paul and Lindsey Den Bleyker of Colorado both docked at the nearby St. Paul Yacht Club marina by boat from Inver Grove Heights. This year's festival schedule — which also uplifts local artists in addition to national headliners — feels more wide-ranging in both genre and fanbase age than last year's 1990s-nostalgia-heavy lineup, and on Friday, attendees seemed to love every minute of it. Local opening acts Maygen & The Birdwatcher and Mike Kota each drew solid crowds of several hundred fans apiece. Performing solo, Hamilton Leithauser of 2000s indie band The Walkmen had a bit more of a low-key stage presence, vacillating between a fun, crowd-pleasing gritty rock sound and a Bob Dylan pastiche that was, let's say, less effective. But up next across the park, Florida indie folk-rockers The 502s kicked the whole day's energy up a notch with bluegrassy hits like 'Hey Julia' and 'Just A Little While.' Saxophonist Joe Capati's red-in-the-face solos were a highlight of the whole day. Festival organizers run a tight schedule: Not more than one minute after the crowd broke into applause for The 502s, fellow Florida-raised singer-songwriter Gigi Perez walked onto the festival's other stage with her powerful, deep vocals that initially gained her TikTok fame in 2021. Late in the afternoon, first headliner Sheryl Crow delivered — no surprise — an incredibly solid performance of favorites like 'If It Makes You Happy' and 'Everyday Is A Winding Road,' as well as the live debut of a new song just released Friday, 'The New Normal.' It was clear that plenty of people arrived specifically in time to see Crow. And despite the more mellow sound of the next headliner, Father John Misty, he managed to keep the energy going; his classic dapper suit didn't hurt, either. But the real treat of the night came next, when Alabama Shakes reunited onstage for one of its first performances since 2017; the band went on hiatus in 2018 so its members, particularly frontwoman Brittany Howard, could pursue solo careers. Howard and her bandmates stepped onstage Friday to the day's most raucous applause thus far — and boy, was it warranted. Returning to the old Alabama Shakes catalog on Friday with tracks like 'Don't Wanna Fight' and 'Sound and Color,' Howard's powerful voice was by turns gravelly and soulful and maybe even angelic. 'I tell you what, it's felt good playing these songs,' Howard said from the stage. It felt good to hear them again, too. Up next are the final two headliners of the evening: 2000s rockers Train and Irish singer-songwriter-bard Hozier. This article will be updated. Related Articles Minnesota musicians enter the Yacht Club Festival with high hopes Steve Miller Band cancels Minnesota State Fair Grandstand show due to climate change 'Hot in Herre' hitmaker Nelly to headline the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand What to know if you're headed to the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival Concert review: Belcher's violin elegant and expressive in Minnesota Orchestra's German Romances Solve the daily Crossword
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Eye-watering cost of Britain's 10 priciest music festivals per day – and Glastonbury is NOT one of them
Read on to find all 10 priciest festivals FESTI-FAILS Eye-watering cost of Britain's 10 priciest music festivals per day – and Glastonbury is NOT one of them Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE festival season is in full swing with several huge UK music events set to take place this summer. But as fun as they can be, festivals are also a costly affair making fans splurge on tickets. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Top 10 priciest UK music festivals have been revealed Credit: Getty - Contributor CritiqueJeu and eFestivals have revealed the top ten most expensive British summer festivals. They collected data from ticketing platforms like Ticketmaster, See Tickets, and Skiddle to compare the prices. It was also noted how many days each of the lowest priced tickets covered. In order to rank the festivals from highest to lowest cost, the price per day was finally determined by dividing the lowest ticket price by the number of days it covered. Top-10 priciest music festivals per day Despite being the biggest festival in the UK, Glastonbury did not make the cut. Leeds and Reading festivals have topped the list at £125 per ticket for one day. BST Hyde Park 2025 comes to a close second at at £101.95 per day. It is followed by The Homestead Festival 2025, which costs £100.00 per day. Down the list, Parklife Weekender 2025 sells tickets for £97.70 per day, while Bloodstock 2025 and Forever Now 2025 are not far behind at £96.00 and £95.00, respectively. The Big Feastival 2025 will set you back £93.50 per day. Major UK music festival is AXED as 'group of children' suddenly fall ill Meanwhile, Wireless Festival 2025 is a little cheaper at £94.60. TRNSMT Festival 2025 at £89.50 and Carfest 2025 at £89.00 per day complete out the top 10. This pricing range suggests that there is a wide variety of festival experiences available, with certain events obviously catering to affluent attendees. Leeds festival line-up revealed Reading and Leeds Festival has announced 30 more acts for its huge line-up. Top 10 priciest music festivals in the UK Leeds and Reading Festival 2025: £125.00 BST Hyde Park 2025: £101.95 Homestead Festival 2025: £100.00 Parklife Weekender 2025: £97.70 Bloodstock 2025: £96.00 Forever Now 2025: £95.00 Wireless Festival 2025: £94.60 The Big Feastival 2025: £93.50 TRNSMT Festival 2025: £89.50 Carfest 2025: £89.00 Some high-energy artists will join this year's headliners Travis Scott, Bring Me The Horizon, Hozier and Chappell Roan over bank holiday weekend in August. Leading the charge are American nu-metallers Limp Bizkit who will play chief support to BMTH. While London rap duo D-Block Europe are supporting Scott, whose booking is a UK festival exclusive. Other signings include Bakar, Good Neighbours, Nemzzz, Badger, Matilda Mann, Example, The Royston Club, Jazzy and Nell Mescal. Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic, said: 'Reading and Leeds really has something for everyone this year. One of the UK's most popular music events, the festival has a rich history of top talent delivering memorable performances. In recent years Stormzy, Billie Eilish, and Arctic Monkeys have all headlined with summer-defining sets. Festival Essentials FESTIVAL season is upon us - and if you're a camping first-timer, here's the five items you mustn't forget. Tent Sleeping bag Roll mat or air bed Camping chair Torch
CBS News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Minnesota Yacht Club festival expected to bring 35,000 attendees to St. Paul this weekend
A summer music festival that drew thousands to the riverfront last year is about to rock Minnesota's capital city again. The three-day Minnesota Yacht Club festival takes center stage in downtown St. Paul on Friday. This summer's headliners include Green Day and Hozier. "Last year they were like locusts... they came in and ate us and drank us out of everything," said Julia Flaherty, who co-owns Joseph's Grill, which is just walking distance from Harriet Island Regional Park. "We look forward to this all year long, we plan for it." Thirty-five thousand people are expected to descend upon St. Paul. "Last year, we saw people from out of town. California, Canada. The Canadians were really fun," said Flaherty. According to St. Paul police, around 400 officers will work the event over three days. Some are designated as traffic enforcement, while others will be assigned to the grounds, according to Senior Commander Jesse Mollner. Tickers are still available online and police say that if you plan on coming, just leave your valuables at home. They also recommend paying attention to the festival's bag policy. A combination of road closures and Green Line light rail maintenance is impacting transit to the festival. For information on how to get to the festival, click here.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
What's Next For Bonnaroo? Festival Eyes Rebound After Canceled 2025
Disappointed fans seen at the Bonnaroo Arch after the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival 2025 is ... More canceled due to rain on June 13, 2025 in Manchester, Tennessee. (Photo by Douglas Mason/WireImage) Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival plans to return in 2026 – with a few changes. On Thursday, event promoters confirmed the popular festival plans to take place June 11-14, 2026, at its longtime home, Great Stage Park (known to many as 'The Farm') in rural Manchester, Tennessee. Launched in 2002, Bonnaroo has built a dedicated following on buzzworthy lineups, late-night performances and an eclectic camping experience. The 2026 confirmation comes weeks after heavy rainfall caused organizers to cancel Bonnaroo 2025 on the second day of the four-day event. Canceled performances included Tyler, The Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, Hozier and Queens of the Stone Age. It was the first time in Bonnaroo's two-decade history that weather forced promoters to cancel during the festival. However, 2025 marked the third Bonnaroo cancelation in five years. In 2020, organizers pulled the plug due to COVID-19; In 2021, promoters rescheduled Bonnaroo from June to September due to the pandemic before storms from Hurricane Ida flooded the grounds, causing a cancelation days before gates opened. 'Weather experts have confirmed that we saw record-setting rainfall this spring and early summer, making what we experienced extremely uncommon' said a statement from the festival posted Thursday. 'All things considered, our traditional June time frame remains the most optimal time of year for Bonnaroo.' After asking for detailed feedback from festivalgoers in a pair of online surveys, organizers outlined a plan for the future of the event. Changes include: This offseason, organizers plan to implement a 'multi-million dollar budget' to improve 'campgrounds and other areas affected by extreme weather in 2025,' according to the post. The post said, 'Some of these projects include reseeding the property, continuing to increase access roads within the campgrounds, adding more drainage and reinforcing primary water runoff pathways." More information, including lineup and ticket packages, should be announced in the coming months. Find more on Bonnaroo 2026 at
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Tom Dunne: AI age sounds a worrying note for Irish musicians
That's the things about tech. One minute it's all VHS recorders, CRT TVs, CD players ad floppy disk drives and the next minute it isn't. You wake up and can't find a floppy drive for love nor money. Could music be next? Could it be all Hozier, CMAT and Fontaines DC one minute and just AI elevator music the next? It might seem extreme, but if the song is the building block and AI can write songs, well, where do you begin? Everything is based on the song: The Oasis comeback, viral TikTok hits, entire radio stations, local venues, PA hire companies, merch sales, production companies. Take out the song and nothing happens. But can you take its survival for granted? Two things happened this week to make we think we can't. Firstly, there was The Rest in Entertainment podcast. Its host Richard Osman asked AI to write a song in the style of 'indie landfill, guitar, jingly pop'. The result was to these ears was a perfectly good Kooks' song, Luke Prichard's wonderful Brighton four-piece. It wasn't classic Kooks. It was no She Moves in Her Own Way, but it was good enough. The Kooks have written worse. But Osman got AI to write it in 45 seconds as an illustration of just how jaw-droppingly simple it is. They'd been discussing a band called the Velvet Sundown. They're on Spotify, have two albums and their single Dust in the Wind, a classic slice of CSNY influenced alt-country, has 1.65 million streams. Except the Velvet Sundown – its music, image and back story- are all AI. Then, on the Brendan O'Connor Show on RTÉ radio, the poet Rita Ann Higgins was invited in to read out two poems. One was hers, the other AI generated. When asked which poem was original, 70% of the audience, myself included, got it wrong. We opted for the AI Rita. Mark Little, former RTÉ journalist and tech innovator, pointed out that the AI version is created to be 'familiar' and people like familiar. It's the same reason supermarket curries sell so well. They aren't great. They are fine and inoffensive. Most people are happy with that. These revelations came in the same week that IMRO published its Core Research report on the Cultural and Economic value of Music in Ireland. It will come as no surprise to you that we love it, although the extent of that love might surprise you. Music in Ireland generates revenue of over €1 billion a year. It employs 13,400 people in performance, production and event management, mostly in Dublin, Cork and Galway. Live events generate €786m annually. Around 71 % of adults say it is an important part of their lives, vs 49% for sports. About 53% of us have a music streaming subscription. Our average the spend on streaming is €209 per year which totals €375m a year. We spend on average €298 p.a on live events, more - €326 - if we'd class ourselves as music fans. But when you dig down it's not as rosy. Only 43% of that 13,400 who are employed in music are full time. And whereas nationally the average income is €46,567, for musicians its €28,123. Most – 68% of IMRO members - take a second job to supplement this. They do this because they love it. And on nights when they celebrate those songs with gigs in small venues all over Ireland we love them too. They give us nights we will remember forever, moments with friends that we will treasure. These are the people most at risk. With physical sales gone, and streaming and YouTube not only dividing up income parsimoniously but also undermining the traditional media like radio that paid a fair rate, what will be left? AI could flood the market with 'familiar sounding' songs trained on the very works they are competing against. Trained, by the way, without permission from or recompense for the original artists. The Government needs to do stuff here. Apply the EU AI act to protect copyright, fight for a fairer share of streaming revenue, aid grass roots music venues, extend the Basic Income for Arts, look at extending the Section 481 tax credit into music. Music is a huge brand for Ireland, from trad to U2, Bob Geldof to Hozier. It's something we excel at, but some countries, Sweden and South Korea for instance, seem to take its potential more seriously than we do. You don't know what you got 'til…
