Leicester’s Handmade Festival Returns This May Bank Holiday w/ Circa Waves, Drenge, The Big Moon, Little Comets & More

Leicester’s acclaimed Handmade Festival returns this May Bank Holiday (5-6 May) and it looks set to be another fantastic year for an event which continues to go from strength to strength.

Taking place on the weekend that traditionally marks the start of the festival season, Handmade looks set to kick start the 2018 schedule in fine fashion as it announced the second wave of acts to perform last month. Drenge, The Big Moon, Girl Ray, Spector and many more joined the likes of Circa Waves, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Dinosaur Pile Up, Little Comet and Her’s who were already on the bill. Amongst the acts playing are some of FMS’s favourite new bands Idles and Mellow Gang (who headlined our Blogtober event last year), so it is already looking to be stellar line-up with more announcements to follow.

Some of the world’s best acts and most exciting newcomers have played Handmade since its inception in 2013. Alumni include Slaves, Twin Atlantic, British Sea Power, Honeyblood and We Are Scientists as the independent event has quickly established itself on the festival calendar. This year promises to be the biggest yet as the bookings across the city graduate to the University of Leicester Students Union and Attenborough Arts Centre alongside the city’s O2 Academy, with Handmade having outgrown the smaller (and often unorthodox venues) in which it began.

The festival also promises comedy, art, film and photography over the course of the weekend as it pushes the boundaries of what can be expected of an inner-city event. “This year’s line-up is a big step up for Handmade and an important one for us to take,” says co-organiser, John Halep. “We want this year’s festival to challenge people’s expectations of what Handmade can be and what we can do with a ‘DIY’ city festival. We hope people are just as excited about it as we are.” The festival has also announced they will be partnering with PPL and PRS for Music once again to host the second stage at the festival.

Snap up the remaining tickets whilst you can – weekend and day tickets are available HERE – more acts are set to be announced over the coming months.

Words: William Sutton

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