FESTIVAL GUIDE: Festival No. 6

NAME: Festival No. 6

WHERE: Portmerrion, Wales

WHEN: 3rd-6th September

HEADLINERS:Metronomy, Belle & Sebastian, Grace Jones and special guest headliner James

BACKGROUND: Festival No. 6 was born of the desire to create a festival that truly is like no other. Portmerrion’s stunning architecture and sub-tropical vegetation makes for an otherworldly backdrop, a million miles away from the boggy fields and desolation that most festivals can offer. The festival continues to grow in popularity with each passing year, with the likes of My Bloody Valentine, New Order, Beck and Spiritualized previously gracing the headline slot.

HOW TO GET THERE: The festival can be reached by car from Liverpool and Manchester within just two hours, travelling from Leeds will take you around three hours, as will coming from Cardiff. If you’re coming form further afield, a car journey from London will take just over four hours.Big Green Coach services are available from Stockport, Manchester and Chester and will cost £32. If you travel to Bangor by train and book in advance, a 25% discount will be available. Visit http://gocarshare.com/festival/festivalnumber6 to offer or search for lifts to/from the festival. A park and ride system will be in operation during the festival.

GIGSLUTZ TOP TIPS: Make sure you don’t get too overwhelmed by the wonderful music, as the likes of Steve Coogan, Mark Ronson + Asif Kapadia, Deborah Curtis + Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner + Irvine Welsh are in conversation at the festival. As well as Welsh language classes running throughout the weekend, there’s a whole host of Welsh-speaking artists performing across various stages; engaging in the culture is likely to make your Festival No. 6 experience even more memorable.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS: Beck smashing through a hit-filled set and declaring Festival No. 6 “The coolest, most surrealist, funkiest, freakiest, best festival in the world.”

MUST SEE THIS YEAR:

Hookworms – Leeds five-piece bring their psych onslaught to the i stage, truly one of the greatest live bands in the world at the moment.

Young Fathers – Believe the hype. Young Fathers brand of experimental hip-hop and political articulation has earned them a reputation nationwide, and their live show takes their eccentricity one step further.

Drinks – A psych pop collaboration between Cate Le Bon and White fence’s Tim Presley, the perfect soundtrack to a Sunday afternoon in Portmerrion.

Kate Tempest – There’s a very thin line between rap and poetry, just ask Kate Tempest; a piercingly honest wordsmith with versatility.

Stealing Sheep – A Liverpool trio hailed as royalty in their hometown. Stealing Sheep’s otherworldly harmonies are spookily suited to the festival’s aesthetic

Novella – Described by Bobby Gillespie (who coincidentally has headlined Festival No.6 before with Primal Scream) as “like the Passions in a head on collision with Neu! on an East London autobahn.” Need I say more?

The Membranes – Asked to reform personally by My Bloody Valentine a few years back in order to play their ATP event, John Robb’s riotous post-punk outfit are unmissable.

DID YOU KNOW:

The festival is named after Patrick McGoohan’s character in the cult classic 1960s TV series, The Prisoner.