Multi-award winning independent festival Bearded Theory returns to its idyllic homeland of Catton Park, Derbyshire on the 21-25th May for yet another year of inspirational, community driven, grassroots festivities. Set in the picturesque setting of the National Forest, the festival boasts myriad musical, educational and creative activities across the weekend.
Newly announced to the line-up today include cinematic London based musical entity Public Service Broadcasting, British indie poppers Swim Deep, American hip-hop pioneers The Sugarhill Gang & The Furious Five, political psych pop band She Drew The Gun, hotly-tipped genre-bending duo Alt Blk Era, Welsh rock trio Mclusky, electronic dub group Dreadzone and many more.
Across the CODA and Big Ed stages are debaucherous new dance offerings from renown Scottish novelist turned DJ Irvine Welsh, jazz-funk jungalist maestro L.T.J Bukem, international DJ and innovative producer Mr C (The Shamen DJ Set – Live PA), highly influential 90’s rave duo Altern 8, Billy Daniel Bunter, Chris Liberator, Dub Pistols, Leeroy Thornhill (ex-Prodigy), Utah Saints & K-Klass return to CODA, Bearded Theory’s brand new dance-oriented area that launched last year to great success. Already announced, Phil Hartnoll of Orbital is not only returning to the festival after last year’s tremendous DJ set and stunning headline performance in the Meadow stage, but will be headlining the dance tent, alongside carefully curating his own night of electronic debauchery in CODA on the Saturday night.
They are joined by punk rock pioneer Iggy Pop, celebrated legendary band Manic Street Preachers, Paul Heaton, joined by special guest singer Rianne Downey, English rock institution The Sisters of Mercy, electronic innovators Leftfield, post-punk quartet Yard Act, unique Irish trailblazers The Mary Wallopers, Northern Irish vibrant virtuosos Ash, pop-country phenomenon CMAT, devilishly bass heavy duo Nova Twins, genre-spanning Fat Dog, alt-country grungers Divorce, British singer-songwriter Nadine Shah, Bristonian unique indie songstress Katy J Pearson, Chicago’s genre-defying experimentalist Ezra Furman, and many more, including but not limited to Mannequin Pussy, Terrorvision, The Lottery Winners, Antony Szmierek, The Alarm, The Vaselines, Gurriers, Lime Garden, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, The Lovely Eggs, Bess Atwell, Dream State, CLT DRP and Asian Dub Foundation.
Bearded Theory firmly believes that an education should not only exist within the boundaries of a traditional indoor space. For parents with children and teenagers, the festival offers the UK’s first innovative on-site Festival School, located in the cherished award-winning Children’s Village, a coveted area of the site cultivated purely to provide a space for creativity, education and fun for children.
Bearded Theory’s wondrously compact site punches above its weight with eight unique stages and areas full of music, dancing and good times. While the main Pallet and Meadow stages showcase some of the biggest sets throughout the weekend, the magical Woodland stage provides an intimate and idyllic setting for folkier sounds and rock sets alike.
Bearded Theory festival presents attendees with monthly payment instalment plans, enabling buyers to spread the cost of purchase up until May 2025. Tickets are on sale now. For more info on the payment plans, camping options and facilities please go HERE.
Full line-up:
IGGY POP • MANIC STREET PREACHERS
PAUL HEATON WITH SPECIAL GUEST RIANNE DOWNEY
THE SISTERS OF MERCY • YARD ACT • PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING
LEFTFIELD • THE MARY WALLOPERS • ENGLISH TEACHERº
CMAT • NOVA TWINS • LOTTERY WINNERS • ASH • EZRA FURMAN
FAT DOGº • NADINE SHAH • ANTONY SZMIEREK• MANNEQUIN PUSSY
KATY J PEARSON • DIVORCE • TERRORVISION
A-Z • ALT BLK ERA • ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION • BEANS ON TOAST • BARE JAMS • BESS ATWELL • DEADLETTERΔ
DREADZONE • DREAM STATE • DU BLONDE • GIRLBAND! • GURRIERS • LIME GARDEN • MCLUSKY
MOLOTOV JUKEBOX˚• MILLIE MANDERS AND THE SHUTUP • NED’S ATOMIC DUSTBIN • SHE DREW THE GUN
SHONEN KNIFE • STEWART LEE • SWIM DEEP • THE ALARM˚ • THE LOVELY EGGS • THE MEFFS˚
THE SELECTER • THE SLOW READERS CLUB • THE SUGARHILL GANG & THE FURIOUS FIVE
THE VASELINES • THROWING MUSES • W.I.T.C.H.˚• ZION TRAIN
A-Z • ADWAITH˚ • ANGELINE MORRISON • AUDIOWEB • BENTLEY RHYTHM ACE • CASTLE RAT˚
CHRIS HAWKINS (BBC 6 MUSIC) DJ SET˚ • CLT DRP˚ • DAKKA SKANKS • DEJA VEGA • EIGHTY EIGHT MILES˚
GAZ BROOKFIELD AND THE COMPANY OF THIEVES • GETDOWN SERVICES • HEADSTICKSΔ
INDEPENDENT COUNTRY Δ • INNER TERRESTRIALS˚ • JESS SILK TRIO˚• MAN/WOMAN/CHAINSAW
MERRY HELL • MIDNIGHT RODEO˚ • MIKI BERENYI TRIO • MUDDY SUMMERS & THE DFWS˚
N’FAMADY KOUYATE • NICK PARKER • NUALA • POPES OF CHILLITOWN • RUBY J • SLANEY BAY˚
SLAY DUGGEE • SOPHIE JAMIESON • STICK IN THE WHEELΔ • THE BAR-STEWARD SONS OF VAL DOONICAN
THE BRANDY THIEVES˚• THE DEEP BLUE • THE DELTONES • THE NONE • THE PILL
TRUPA TRUPA • TTSSFU • UJAHMΔ • 3 DAFT MONKEYS
CODA
PHIL HARTNOLL (ORBITAL DJ SET) • L.T.J BUKEM • IRVINE WELSH
MR C (THE SHAMEN DJ SET – LIVE PA)
ALTERN-8 • BILLY DANIEL BUNTER • CARL LOBEN • CHRIS LIBERATOR
DiY SOUNDSYSTEM (GRACE SANDS, JACK & PEZZ) • DRUM MACHINE (LIVE)
DUB PISTOLS (BARRY ASHWORTH DJ SET) • FREESTYLERS • JACK SAID WHAT
K-KLASS • LEEROY THORNHILL (EX-PRODIGY) • STEVE MAC • UTAH SAINTS
CONVOY CABARET • MAUI WAUI • THE SOMETHING ELSE TEA TENT
FUNHOUSE COMEDY • THE MAGIC TEAPOT • CINEMA NIGHTS
EARTH AREA • REAL ALE PUBS • DELICIOUS FOOD STALLS • MARKET STALLS
AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN’S VILLAGE • THE FESTIVAL SCHOOL • FUNFAIR
˚Performing on Thursday
Δ Performing on Wednesday
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