May Bank Holiday weekend, Scunthorpe got to experience their first ever 3-day festival with rising talent and big names. It was like nothing the town had ever seen and as with everything first time around, no one knows what to expect. The festival gates opened at around 4:15pm each afternoon with the Stadium and main stage opening after 6pm.
A full fairground lit up the Glanford Park car park with the usual sights and sounds you’d expect from a fair. Whilst the first night of the festival was a little shaky with lower attendance and the stage running behind, this didn’t stop the crowd having a good time and it had a family friendly feel about it, kid’s running around and dancing. There was a friendly atmosphere and people showed support for the local acts like BUZZKILL JOY, who will be back supporting Anton Vic at Café Indie this Saturday 31st May and Dirty Sterling. It was a shame that DS got cut short because they are noticeably one of Scunthorpe’s most popular bands but for any fans, they can catch their concert at The Baths Hall in September, so I guess it was like a teaser. And as always a ABBA and Queen tribute go down well.
Progressively over the weekend, day by day attendance picked up and the festival found it’s feet, running a lot smoother and turning out to be pretty epic for the locals. Except for the ones sat at home with their windows rattling and the chorus of Oggy, Oggy, Oggy, Oi, Oi, Oi carrying through the night breeze.
Saturday’s line up saw an array of names from the 90’s with Livin Joy, Capella, Barbara Tucker plus more. Phats and Small raised the roof (not that the stadium has one) with 90’s and 00’s nostalgic remixes and vocals. And if you enjoyed Phats and Small you can also catch them again in Scunthorpe on Saturday 23rd August at Church Square along with another headliner yet to be announced for the free entry Scunthorpe Pride festival.
Sunday was undoubtedly going to be the busier of all 3 evenings with TZ (Tom Zanetti) celebrating the party he created on the pitch and the likes of BASSHUNTER and Example on the line up. Sunday upped the tempo with bassline, house, energy and lots of jumping around whilst strobes created the drama. The crowd was varied in age but a lot more of the younger community had come out. The start of Sunday was warmed up with a short set from local artist F.O.S and young local DJ talent Taylor Shipley. Majestic and Artful Dodger kept the hardcore dancers dancing even while the rain poured. The final night was another level of busy in comparison to the others, the atmosphere was giving off a different vibe and people were there to party for the Bank Holiday.
Obviously, people are going to say they should have done this and that, we can’t help ourselves can we, but the reality is, putting on a 3 day festival at that cost, level and scale is no easy task and for it’s first year, they smashed it. Big events like this are bound to have hiccups and year on year as festivals grow, they expand, they improve, word spreads and that’s the magic. Once a few people tell their friends about it, they tell their friends etc etc and before you know it, it’s the party you don’t want to miss.
Well done to all that was involved in the event, from the event organisers, the SUFC staff and owners, security, stage crew, bar staff, clean up crew etc.
Will The Stadium Weekender or Party on The Pitch return to Scunthorpe next year? I don’t know! but even just a day festival I’m sure would be well received by Scunthorpe. If it returned, who would you hope for as a headliner?
Scunthorpe Nights 