Stendhal 2024 (Limavady, Co. Derry)

Was looking at going this year but other things came up on same dates.

Ive said it a few times about this festival, but its real value for me that it allows for thst 13-18 age group allowing us to bring both our yonger kid and older teen. There are so few of those quality festivals on this island catering to all age groups

Hope you enjoy it, and report back!

Havvk worth a look, going by your other picks. Yeah i'd imagine Don Letts would only be dj'ing but he's good fun. His debut solo album 'Outta Sync', released last year, is pretty good. I love the title track.

Stendhal posted this morning that they aren't coming. Orbs FB page still has their post from a few days ago that they where... but whatever happend they not there now and looks like all events they were at are cleared all the way to September. Edit( they also pulled out of Glastonbury) Gutted for sure from a 'big' act POV that was really the only special draw. Real shame.

But hey its on my doorstep, early bird tickets were pittance and its made me look into the others around same time and I'm gonna give Toya Delazy a go. From all accounts she seems to be a blast live but not sure I could stand a whole set.

And urgh there's a nasty clash on Friday... Skinny Living, Virgins and CheryM all on at same time. 😣 Will prob skip Skinny as they are at Forest Fest in a couple weeks so will catch them there.

Been listening into more of Honeyfeet (Rioghnach Connally) that's going to be a treat!

Some words from the orgnaiser on the festival/events sector in general in yesterday's Derry journal.

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Arts and Entertainment

Stendhal organiser Ross Parkhill issues ‘positive but precarious’ clarion call as award-winning festival gets set to welcome 10,000 plus

By Kevin Mullan

Published 2nd Jul 2024, 09:55 BST

Updated 2nd Jul 2024, 09:55 BST

From July 4 to 6, 10,000 plus music and art lovers will descend on Ballymully Cottage Farm, Limavady for the 14th edition of Stendhal Festival.

Since 2011 Limavady has played host to the independent event which has seen its numbers grow from 700 patrons in its inaugural year to the large-scale event it is today, which will see total attendance over its lifespan hit 100,000 people.

It has welcomed acts such as The Divine Comedy, The Undertones, Basement Jaxx, Ash, The Wailers, Sister Sledge and this year will add The Zutons, Hot Chip (DJ set) and Heather Small to that list.

There have been a host of challenges, trials and tribulations for the organisers behind the scenes but for Director Ross Parkhill, the challenges are worth the reward, however he believes that the current climate facing independent events is perhaps the most difficult era in the events 14-year history.

“Starting from absolutely nothing to becoming currently the largest independent, weekend camping music and arts festival in Ireland, certainly hasn’t been easy,” he said.

Mr. Parkhill said the festival has had issues from day one including objections, funding difficulties, to not being taken seriously in some quarters.

Ross continued: “Then we had Covid and the cost-of-living crisis and things in our industry steadily became more difficult to circumnavigate.

"Since Covid, 170 plus independent festivals in the UK and Ireland have closed their doors for good. 40 more have already gone in 2024 and our reality is that we are now the largest independent festival in the island of Ireland, partly due to the fact that we run a good and well-loved event, but if we are honest with ourselves, it is also partly by default because we managed to keep our heads above water when unfortunately, others couldn’t.”

He added: “I would describe our current position going into 2024 as positive but precarious. We seem to have bucked the trend so far but until the final bit of bean counting is done post event, there are never any guarantees year on year that we will be in a position to run the following year.”

There have been many factors that feed into one and other which has resulted in the current ‘very concerning landscape’ for independent events and festivals.

“As far as I can see there are quite a few reasons that so many events are getting cancelled,” Ross mused.

“There are the ever-present issues of entertainment overload in the summer. There are only so many pounds people can spend on entertainment.”

He continued: “Of course the cost-of-living crisis adds into that, funding for the arts is a huge issue that filters into that, but I’ll come back to that and then a huge thing that nobody seems to be discussing is the disgusting ticket prices for tier one acts at the moment.”

He also blasted ticket resales and dynamic pricing.

“The idea that some acts are charging anywhere between £200 and £500, sometimes more, for a two-hour show blows my mind.”

“If someone spends that on a gig then chances are that is their live gig budget gone for a couple of months, so there will be no tenners here and there to go check out an emerging act at a bar or smaller venue, effecting both emerging acts and grass roots venues.”

“Rising costs are a huge issue across the board, as is the legislation that passed last year deeming that any site machinery we use on the farm must be fuelled by clear diesel.”

Ross added: “Vat is another huge issue. What people maybe don’t understand is that if you spend £100 on a ticket to Stendhal, the tax man gets £20 of that.

"We greatly support the current call to reduce Vat on events down to 5 per cent as opposed to the current 20 per cent. That was the case during Covid times and if it wasn’t for that, we might not be here today.

“Funding is another bug bear, particularly in Northern Ireland where our government spends far less per head on the arts than any of our neighbours, in a post conflict society. It is somewhat dumbfounding.

"Luckily our team and others continue to rise to the challenges year on year in bringing some colour and joy within the country. We will keep fighting for the value of arts and culture and the respect it warrants – who doesn’t need more colour, sound and joy in their life?”

He praised the ‘great support’ received from Causeway Coast and Glens Brough Council, adding that financial assistance via the Arts Council NI Annual Funding Programme is also welcome.

But he lamented the demise of Tourism NI’s National Event Tourism Fund last year and the fact that a National Tourism fund application this year was rejected despite Stendhal ‘meeting all the criteria’.

“Last year when we got a lot of media attention off the back of TNI pulling the National Event Tourism fund we said that the decision to pull it would put independent events like ours at risk and lo and behold a year later, we are the last medium to large scale independent arts and music festival left in the country.”

Just left seeing Tomcat fantastic. Easily the best band of the Thursday night.twin female vocals compliment the swing from rock/ska/punk and indie and melodic.

(Currently at red eye... always good of course.) :) great to round off the night

My Thursday started with String Ninjas, followed by a fantastic PORTS, Tomcat and then Red Eye Pariah. Excellent. I briefly stopped with Doghouse on the way back to the campervan but they weren't doing it for me.