Located in the suitably sciencey surroundings of Jodrell Bank, Blue Dot Festival 2018 once again gathered an enviable array of music, comedy and must-see lectures for a weekend of thought provoking entertainment. As our first foray into this particular event we have to be honest: We weren’t entirely sure what to expect. Not that festivals are anything new for us – far from it – but with Blue Dot’s specific mix of science and sound, catering for all aspects of the family… well, it’s far from the booze-soaked fields or dingy dive bars we’re use to. With that in mind, we’re please to report that the team was pleasantly surprised with Blue Dot 2018, an event that proves festivals aren’t just for sunburnt teens with bumbags clipped around their torsos.
The fun started Thursday evening with a picturesque performance of Blue Planet II, live scored by the Hallé Orchestra in the shadow of the looming Jodrell Bank Observatory. This year’s event invited punters to pitch their tents early and as with all smaller festivals the question emerged: is there enough to do on-site to warrant four nights under the stars? To answer this Blue Dot goes to some lengths to keep ticket holders entertained between acts. Enter for the first time and you’re greeted by sprawling outdoor pop-up The Roots Stage – a sort of in between venue connecting the campsite with the main arena. For kids, there’s plenty of hands-on installations that glow, make noise and generally scream out to be played with and for the adults there’s a hot tub, spa and relaxation area close by too.
As the music started on Friday, London’s sample trio Public Service Broadcasting warmed up the crowd nicely ready for the evening’s headliners (and perhaps festival stand-out) The Flaming Lips. With dusk settling in, eye-patch wearing frontman Wayne Coyne took to the stage framed by a giant inflatable pink robot and accompanied by a cacophony of confetti, balloons and smoke for a colorfully memorable set for fans and newbies alike. Sitting atop a giant white unicorn, it was easy to see the crossover appeal of Coyne’s act with family audiences, even if a sea of bemused looking two-year olds on parent’s shoulders resulted in sight issues for those eager to see one of their favourite bands.
Saturday had a series of sell out lectures in the venue’s lecture halls, including an appearance by the always divisive atheist Richard Dawkins. Emphasis on the sell-out here – due to space limitations, queues were a given at this year’s event and unless you had time to spare beforehand, you were likely going to miss your talk of choice. That wasn’t the case back at the main arena though, where iconic singer/songwriter Gary Numan channeled his inner Trent Reznor for a pounding, crowd-pleasing set. Saturday’s headliner catered for the more mature demographic with Future Islands’ Samuel T. Herring growling out an array of hits while the sun went down on the day and a series of projections decorated the observatory.
Sunday saw the team explore Blue Dot’s jam-packed comedy stage, which was literally jam packed. Curated by Manchester’s brilliant Perfect Strangers Comedy, this weirdly inflatable stage played host to a wide variety of acts over the weekend, with Gary Delaney and David Doherty providing Sunday’s highlights before electronic duo The Chemical Brothers closed out things with a storming (and all inclusive) party over at the main arena. Kids, parents, grandparents – Forget what you think you know about music fans, Blue Dot Festival 2018’s formula appeals to all. It’s a weird science for sure – but it works.
Words by Simon Bland (@SiTweetsToo).
Keep up to date on all the latest Northern entertainment news by following us on Twitter and Facebook.
