2023 promises to be an exceptional yar for live music. At last, live music seems to be thriving, following the dark times of the pandemic. Looking ahead to some of next summer's festivals, the line-up of artists looks impressive! One of the highlights of 2023 will be Elton John's first appearance at Glastonbury with the Sunday night headline spot on 25 June. This will also be the final UK date of what we have been assured is Elton John's farewell tour. We are promised a two hour spectacular with many hits plus a range of Elton's other material from various stages of his whole career. Other Glastonbury names have yet to be confirmed. Details will be available at www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk early in 2023. The jointly managed Reading and Leeds Festivals have already announced some of their bill-toppers. Between 25 and 27 August Californian pop icon Billie Eilish will appear along with Geordie rocker Sam Fender plus Foals, Lewis Capaldi, The Killers, Imagine Dragons plus Becky Hill and Inhaler. More acts will be announced soon - see www.readingfestival.com and www.leedsfestival.com Latitude - from 20 to 23 July – will feature punk heroine Siouxsie Sioux playing her first show in ten years at the festival's BBC Sounds Stage at Henham Park, Suffolk. Also at the event are Pulp, George Ezra, The Kooks and Paolo Nutini. But many more artists will be announced soon.....see www.latitudefestival.com Pulp and George Ezra will also be appearing at the Isle of Wight Festival from 15 to 18 June along with bill-toppers Blondie and Robbie Williams and many more performers still to be listed. For more see www.isleofwightfestival.com And Fairport Convention will be hosting their usual Fairport's Cropredy Convention at the village of Cropredy, near Banbury, Oxfordshire from 10 to 12 August. Their guests will include 10CC, Toyah Wilcox and Robert Fripp, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Fishermen's Friends, Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri plus Richard Digance. For latest details, go to www.fairportconvention.com
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Nick Dent-Robinson looks at some of the highlights of this year's summer festivals
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