Fast becoming the North East’s biggest family music festival set in the palatial grounds of Hardwick Hall, this year’s Hardwick Festival had a stellar lineup that included big headliners over three says from Scissor Sisters to Pet Shop Boys and Olly Murs.
Though the festival might be small as regards capacity audiences with a limit of 10.000 attendees, no one can deny the major artists that the festival attracts, including some new acts to look out for. The festival attracts a stylish audience alongside a family friendly atmosphere.
The acts
The Clause utilised their short thirty minutes set on Saturday to impress. The Birmingham outfit had much to celebrate with a performance of a catalogue of songs that sounded like stadium anthems in the making, all delivered with a liberating feel with ‘Elisha’ and ‘In My Element’ being their best. With a debut album to follow in the autumn the group is definitely worth checking out when they visit Newcastle in the autumn.
North East singer-songwriter, Andrew Cushin, was in good company in front of a supportive home crowd. Sometimes overshadowed and overlooked by that other North East success story – Sam Fender, Cushin was never going to stay in the shadows with a compelling set that was gritty and generous in heart and soul. By the time he had arrived at ‘I’m Coming Home’, Cushin had rightfully received an homecoming that had been deserved. “Don’t forget to get your tickets for my show at Newcastle City Hall” reminded Cushin not that anyone needed a heads up after this uplifting performance.
Manchester’s Everything Everything brought their brand of avant-garde brand of rock to Hardwick which fitted in well with the stylish audience that the festival attracts. The band is now seven albums deep into its career and outside their core audience are still not household names which seemed a mystery when ‘Pizza Boy’ and ‘Get to Heaven’ sounded like they should be appreciated by the many.
One of the major dance acts and re-mixers of the early nineties House music scene, K-Klass reminded the Hardwick Festival goers why the act were so influential in the genre. It helped having powerhouse vocalist Bobbi Depasois to recreate the dance classics.
As Paul Roberts dedicated Rock the House to “anyone who went to the Hacienda in Manchester back in the day” the fact was those that did probably would not remember given the historic club’’s reputation and the nature of the rave and dance culture.
The Lathums impressed as a festival act blending indie charm and raw emotion into a compelling set. ‘Heartbreaker’ remains their best festival song, having the same euphoria as Status Quo’s ‘Rocking All Over the World’.
“Good evening Sedgefield”
“Good evening Sedgefield” is not a greeting you normally hear from one of pop music’s biggest exponents, that is unless you happen to be Pet Shop Boys and one of your members, Neil Tennant hails from just up the road in North Shields.
The duo have been performing their present Dreamworld tour for nearly two years, naturally Hardwick received a compelling, concise and consummate performance that read like a greatest hits set that began with ‘Suburbia’ and concluded with ‘Being Boring’, though no one could have accused the influential duo of being drab, quite the opposite with Tennant providing at least three costume changes as is partner in crime, Chris Lowe remained behind his keyboards.
Their integrity and longevity seemed aptly placed in a festival that deserves to continue in strength for many years to come. If you haven’t discovered Hardwick Festival yet, this is a festival that should be on your list for 2026.
