One of the hottest acts in the UK, Rudimental, are heading to York to headline the second YO1 festival. Rudimental’s first release Feel The Love, a double platinum selling single, spent 30 weeks in the charts and have over 17 million views on YouTube.
Securing such a big name is a coup for the YO1 organisers. Last year’s festival, at Askham Bryan College in York, was a huge hit. This summer YO1 gets bigger and better as it takes over York Racecourse on May 5 with four stages of music, a vintage fair, street food and a micro ale festival.
The Main Stage
As well as Rudimental, DJ Yoda takes to the main stage. Declared one of the top three DJs in the world by Hip Hop Connection magazine and Q magazine said he is one of the top ten DJs you need to see before you die. His How To Cut & Paste series showcased his bootleg cut up mixing style.
Channel One Soundsystem, run by legendary selector Mikey Dread and featuring MC Ras Kayleb, is welcomed back after they produced one of the best sets of last year’s YO1.
Others on the main stage include local talent like Dub Barn Collective and North Yorkshire’s New Orleans-inspired New York Brass Band.
Please Please You stage
Over the past eight years, Please Please You has hosted more than 200 shows, covering indie, folk, weird, Americana and punk, depending purely on who floats their musical boat and who can be tempted into town. Musicality has always been top of the list, and bringing interesting bands to York has always been PPY’s remit.
Bison Coffee House stage
YO1’s acoustic stage will be hosted by Bison Coffee House. In November 2011 Bison Coffee opened its doors on Heslington Road, York, and have provided space in their shop for acoustic acts, radio shows and art exhibitions. So YO1 invited them to bring their expertise to the stage.
Other 2013 partners include the highly acclaimed Beacons Festival. In 2012 Beacons hosted a sell out weekend of the fresh talent in the Yorkshire Dales near Skipton.
YO1 is also welcomes back Irie Vibes. York’s largest reggae, roots and dub collective Irie Vibes has almost 20 DJs, selectors, producers, engineers and artists. As a collective they represent every era and style of reggae and dub, from the earliest ska and rocksteady to the latest dub and digital roots, and everything in between.
More than music
YO1 has teamed up with Northern StrEats to present a street food market to tantalise your taste buds, as well as the return of a micro ale festival offering around 16 ales and ciders.
The day was a hugely successful event which included three outdoor music tents, a family area, vintage tent, a real ale tent, pimms and jubilee tea tent as well as playing host to Bar Lane Studios, Freakin and Irie Vibes all in respective internal venues.
Alex and Sam from Now And Then Events are bringing a slice of their renowned Britain Does Vintage to the racecourse. York Does Vintage will provide, whatever the weather – sunglasses, jumpers and hats, stylish summer dresses and shorts. There will also be a beauty parlour, where the girls can give you an understated 1960s hippy look or something a bit more glam.
- Doors open at the YO1 festival at 11.30am on Sunday, May 5. Entertainment starts at noon and the arena closes at midnight
- Tickets cost £20 for adults in advance. An adult-and-teen ticket costs £30, while children aged 12 and under go free (with accompanying adult at all times)
- For more information see the YO1 festival website, the YO1 Facebook page or follow the team on Twitter