Festival No. 6 reveal Flaming Lips, Mogwai, Bloc Party and more to play Portmeirion

Festival Number 6

Festival No. 6 organisers reveal their headliners plus special Beatles collaboration with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Getintothis’ Peter Guy looks ahead to more fun in Wales.

Festival No. 6 has revealed the first wave of acts for the 2017 event with The Flaming Lips, Mogwai and Bloc Party to headline.

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bootleg Beatles will present a special 50th anniversary celebration of Sgt. Pepper’s while other names on the bill include The Cinematic Orchestra, Wild Beasts, Rag’n’Bone Man, Laura Mvula, Kate Tempest, Arab Strap and The Cribs.

Also on the bill in Portmeirion are Public Service Broadcasting, Goldie, Hercules & Love Affair, James Vincent McMorrow plus Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon which will feature late night covers.

The festival, which has twice won Getintothis‘ Festival of the Year accolade in our end of year reviews, takes place on September 7-10, and follows on from the infamous mud bath of 2016.

However, with it’s rich diversity of superlative music, arts, theatre and talent for creating truly memorable experiences, it’s widely hoped it will triumph once again in 2017.

Additional live music this year comes in the shape of Jagwar Ma, Steve Mason, Toy, Palace, Honeyblood, Cabbage, Vaults, Tash Sultana, Tom Grennan, Superfood, Island, Formation, Pins, The Rhythm Method, Skott, Xamvolo, Ten Tonnes, Aine Cahill, The Lightening Year, Slang, Klangstof, Daniel O Sullivan, Gulp, The Pheromoans, Tom House Smith and Yucatan.

The electronica bill is further bolster by Joy Orbison, Benji B, Joe Goddard Live, Mr Scruff, Mary Anne Hobbs, Horse Meat Disco, Justin Robertson, Running Back Super Ball: Henrik Schwarz (Live), Gerd Janson and Fort Romeau, David Holmes, Steve Davis & Kavus Torabi, Kevin Rowland (Dexys DJ Set), Down to the Sea and Back, Heavenly Jukebox and Purple Stardust – the ultimate Prince and Bowie disco.

The arts and culture programme includes No.6 favourites The Brythoniaid Welsh Male Voice Choir. Director Kevin Allen will talk about the filming of Tin Town, the sequel to seminal Welsh film Twin Town.

Maxine Peake will curate her own stage for a day, Peaky’s Parlour, with a mixture of special guests and screenings. Snooker player turned DJ Steve Davis will be in conversation with Kavis Torabi and Goldie, Kevin Rowland (Dexys Midnight Runners), Charlotte Church, Diane Morgan (Philomena Cunk) and Mary Anne Hobbs will also be in conversation.

Writers appearing include Coco Khan and Vera Chok, two of the authors from The Good Immigrant, voted Britain’s favourite book of 2016, and Ian Martin (The Thick of It) talking about his new book Epic Space.

Plan your summer festival with our guide to the UK’s very best happenings in 2017

There will be a special Tony Wilson tribute, to mark 10 years since the death of the Factory Records supremo, Delia Derbyshire Day will mark the 80th anniversary of the electronic pioneer and Ros Wynne Jones will talk about retracing George Orwell’s Road to Wigan Pier, 80 years on.

Festival founder Gareth Cooper said: “It’s a very special year for us as we’re celebrating our sixth birthday and we’re marking the occasion by really going back to our roots. It has to be our most diverse bill to date with amazing artists packing every stage, from the woods to the main stage – it’s going to be incredible.”

Last year’s highlights in pictures.