13 acts who’ll bring the heat to Solfest 2024

Punks, ravers, grannies, and toddlers are gearing up for Solfest 2024 which arrives on Thursday 22nd - Sunday 25th August 2024 at North Lakes Country Park in Silloth, Cumbria. 

Balancing household names with DIY indie acts, the festival will see eight stages of music this year, covering a variety of genres including indie, rock, DnB, reggae, folk, dance, hip-hop, and more. 

Solfest celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with brilliant music across the spectrum as well as its Healing Garden, a creative kids’ area, and interactive site art. Run by a small dedicated team of volunteers, it's adored for many reasons besides its musical offerings, one of those being its anti-corporate stance. Instead of huge advertisements, Solfest adorns its site with art and décor. 

To get us all hyped up for Solfest 2024, we took a moment to highlight some artists who’ll bring the heat. Check them out below!  

Hybrid Minds and Tempza 

The kings of liquid drum and bass will be tearing it up on Solfest’s main stage this year and it's sure to be a highlight. If you know anything about DnB, you’ll be familiar with Hybrid Minds. 

But if you need a reminder, the duo with over 1.3 million Spotify listeners are known for tracks like ‘If Love Could Have Saved You’, ‘Let Me Hold You’, and ‘Touch’. They’ve been on the scene since 2012 and offer some of the most euphoric and emotive sounds paired with DnB.

De La Soul 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock these past few decades, you’ll know a De La Soul track or two. De La Soul became known for their positive sound during the era of hardcore gangsta rap. Focusing on good, happy vibes and lyrics over jazzy beats, they’re also known for giving us one of the best hip-hop albums of all time, 3 Feet High and Rising.

Respected for their innovative sampling, changing hip-hop’s landscape, and inspiring various subgenres, and with a seriously incredible discography, the whole crowd at their set is certain to be grooving. Check them out on the main stage with a live band! 

The Wailers   

Legendary reggae band The Wailers will bring some super chill summery vibes to the main stage at Solfest this year. Again, you’re almost guaranteed to know a handful of their songs. ‘One Love’, ‘No Woman, No Cry’, ‘Three Little Birds’, ‘Buffalo Soldier’, ‘Get Up, Stand Up’, ‘I Shot The Sheriff’, ‘Could You Be Loved’ - these are tracks that everyone on the planet knows and loves. 

Formed by the former members of Bob Marley and The Wailers after Marley’s death, the band have been active since 1982, spreading sonic joy with iconic basslines, choppy guitars, and soulful lyrics. A truly legendary band, their set at Solfest will hurt to miss. 

N-Trance

Solfest’s Solway Bar Stage will see a set from 90s legends - the creators of the bangers ‘Set You Free’, ‘Electronic Pleasure’, and ‘Forever’ - N-Trance. The Eurodance group from Manchester formed in '91, and landed 14 charting singles in the UK. So, if you were out clubbing then, or just have an attachment to that era of music, you’ll definitely recognise their music. The party atmosphere paired with the nostalgia will be intoxicating. 

Peter Hook & The Light  

Peter Hook (formerly of Joy Division and New Order) brings his band to Solfest for post-punk goodness. Hooky et al will be blasting through Joy Division and New Order songs, likely including iconic tracks like ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, ‘She's Lost Control’, ‘Transmission’, ‘Blue Monday’, ‘Ceremony’, and ‘Everything's Gone Green’. It’ll be an incredible journey into the genre’s best tracks. 

Mrs Magoo ft Bassmonkey 

Award-winning Scottish jungle DJ/producer Mrs Magoo returns to Solfest this year, bringing MC Bassmonkey along to ensure the crowd is as lively as possible. A Solfest favourite, she comes to The Lagoon, a stage hosted by Cenote Sounds, the underground bass sounds of Scotland. You’ll also find Kelvin 373, Jinx in Dub, and more DnB talent at The Lagoon. 

Alabama 3 

Best known for their track ‘Woke Up This Morning’, Alabama 3 will stop by the festival to sprinkle sounds of acid house mixed with country and blues. Born in Brixton in 1995, the band is still going strong and evidently still has plenty of energy to back up the music and get the Solfest crowd going. 

Utah Saints

Their track ' Something Good' came in at number 134 on Rolling Stones' list of the 200 best dance tracks, NME called them "dance legends", and Annie Mac said of them "These guys invented rave" - Utah Saints have played a valued role in dance music. Making music, DJing, and touring since the birth of house music, you’ll know them for their handful of charting singles including ‘Something Good’ and ‘What Can You Do For Me’. Their set will be ace. 

Space

Arguably one of the best bands from Liverpool, Space, with hits like ‘Female of the Species’, ‘Neighbourhood’, and ‘Me and You Versus the World’, will be at Solfest 2024. The Brit pop/indie band’s first and second albums, Spiders and Tin Planet, both went platinum in the UK, securing eight top 40 singles on the way. Known for engaging with the crowd, it'll certainly be a great set. 

Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5

This comedy band from Scotland is sure to bring smiles to this year’s bash. Hopping around genres including acid house, funk, indie, rock, and more, they often use brass instruments and employ high energy to get crowds moving. Their set will most definitely be a highlight for whoever attends. 

Emma Clair

Driven by the belief that music should be fun, Emma Clair brings her blend of house and tech house, fusing it with classic vocals and an old skool edge. She's performed all over including venues in Berlin, Ibiza, and Europe, as well as playing at Boomtown, Antwerp Mansion, and more. All about being fun and happy with music, her set should create the perfect festival atmosphere. 

The Laurettes

The Laurettes are a Scottish folk band who released their debut album Meet Me at the Mainstage in March this year. The foot-stomping band will be playing on the Drystone Stage alongside Sound of the Sirens, Will Varley, and more. 

Dutty Moonshine Big Band 

DMBD is a 14-piece big band that fuses heavy UK bass with jazz. Yep. Sounds a bit mad, doesn’t it? The best bit is that it actually works. Insanely well. So what can you expect? Well, in the past they’ve done Duke Ellington’s ‘Caravan’ as a garage banger, 12-bar blues turned into a half-time DnB anthem, and a New Orleans funeral song transformed into a mid-tempo breaks beast. So yeah, you’re guaranteed some madness. 

The final few tickets for Solfest 2024 are on sale. Secure yours now towards the bottom of this page to enjoy all these artists and so many more.

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

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