Summer Sundae

Summer Sundae (also called the Summer Sundae Weekender) is an annual music festival held in Leicester, England which focuses on indie, Alternative, and local music. The festival began as a one-dayer in 2001 and has grown year on year since then, adding first one and then two campsites, and now involves five stages.

It is hosted by the city's De Montfort Hall, both in the hall itself, and over four outdoor stages in the hall's grounds, and including part of Victoria Park. A section of the park is fenced off for camping during the weekend of the festival. The festival is sponsored in part by the digital radio station BBC 6 Music, which in return has exclusive broadcasting rights. The festival usually takes place in August and has grown from two stages to five over the course of six years. In 2005 the festival welcomed over 70 artists, both well-known and established bands, and local bands from around the East Midlands. This extended to over 100 bands, and the first ever sold-out festival in 2006.

The festival is run over five stages: The Outside Stage is by far the largest, and hosts the bigger bands, in conjunction with the Indoor Stage, the main auditorium of the De Montfort Hall. In addition, The Musician Stage is a tent featuring mainly acoustic and roots music at times when the Outside stage is quiet, and The Rising Stage features new and local talent. In 2006, the eFESTIVALS Cabaret Stage was added, and for the first time the festival kicked off with an official warm up party, hosted by Pineapster to provide entertainment to those campers arriving in the City on the Thursday night and raise money for LOROS, a local hospice. For 2007, the festival was preceded by a fringe festival, linked between the weekender event and local arts bodies across Leicester and Leicestershire.

A Taste Of Summer Sundae

2008 saw the arise of the Taste of Summer Sundae gigs. In Partnership with Pineapster, the festival works to put on a taster gig, early each year to provide a flavour of the bands expected to play the main festival. The first such event was held on the 1st March 2008, in Firebug, Leicester featuring the bands Envy & Other Sins, Johnny Foreigner and Kyte.

ummer Sundae Fringe Festival

The Summer sundae fringe festival is curated by Pineapster, and held in the week leading up the main festival. The fringe festival culminates with a set of warm up parties on the Thursday night before the main festival

2008 Lineup

The 2008 Summer Sundae Weekender festival took place between the 8th and 10th August 2008. The main festival line-up was follows:

;;Outdoor stage

;;Musician stage

;;Firebug Rising stage

;;Indoor stage

2005 Lineup

The 2005 Summer Sundae took place between the 12th and 14th of August, 2005. The bill was as follows

;;Outdoor stage

;;Rising stage

2004 Lineup

The 2004 Summer Sundae Weekender took place between the 13th and 15th of August, 2004

Highlights of this festival included Kings of Convenience, Super Furry Animals, Ed Harcourt, Air, Amy Winehouse, The Beta Band and Adem.

2003 Lineup

The 2003 Summer Sundae Festival saw the introduction of a dance music to Friday night, and took place over three days between the 8th and the 10th of August, 2003

Saturday's lineup included Alabama 3, Chumbawumba, Laura Cantrell, British Sea Power, Kathryn Williams and The Herbaliser with Gotan_project Headlining. Sunday's bill included Ian McCulloch, Aqualung, Durutti Column, Pernice Brothers, Cosmic Rough Riders and Richard Hawley. The finale was a Concert for a Landmine Free World featuring Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, Joan Baez and Chrissie Hynde sharing the stage.

2002 Lineup

The 2002 Summer Sundae Festival took place between the 6th and the 7th of July, 2002

Highlights of the festival included I Am Kloot, Beth Orton and local favourites Cornershop. There was a strong Americana influence including the Be Good Tanyas, Calexico and The Handsome Family. David Byrne headlined.

External links

* [http://www.summersundae.com Official Website]
* [http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/summersundae/ eFestivals festival coverage]