Liverpool Sound City unveils big plans for 2018

Dates for the eleventh edition of Liverpool Sound City have been revealed, alongside big plans for the festival to return to its pioneering roots.

This summer, Sound City celebrated its tenth birthday on Liverpool’s Clarence Docks, with performances from the likes of The Kooks, The Cribs, White Lies and Metronomy.  As of today, Sound City is officially returning for an eleventh year, at the earlier date of May 5 and 6 2018.

It has been confirmed that the 2018 Sound City programme has been partly curated by a series of special guests, including Moshi Moshi, Bluedot and Glastonbury’s Silver Hayes.  Although these plans are still under wraps, we believe that the range of both music genres and artists will be vaster than Sound City has ever seen before.

As well as an earlier festival date and a new programming schedule, Sound City is also set to soon reveal its new city centre venue.  “We [now] feel it is time for us to come back to the city centre and embark on the next stage of our journey.’ Says Sound City COO, Becky Ayres.

“2018 will all be about re-establishing new links and a new feel.’

“This will also lead us into the hugely ambitious plans that we have for 2019, which will be revealed over the coming months.”

This is definitely an exciting time for Sound City as it prepares to kick off the sure-to-be-summer of love in 2018.  Early Bird tickets for Sound City 2018 are available to purchase from Friday 29 September, at 9 am.  Tickets for the annual Sound City + conference set to be held on Friday 4 May, also go on limited release sale at the same time.

About the conference, Director Jo Whitty has stated via press release that “The conference programme will be packed with the usual mix of influential music names and innovative panels and programmes.  We will work closely with our national and international partners to encourage even more business to come out of it as a result.”

While the Sound City live music festival and the conference are set to conduct their standard proceedings in Liverpool, something brand new is joining the ever-growing Sound City family this year.  Introducing Sound City Satellite.

Described as a “hugely ambitious project” by Sound City CEO David Pichilingi, Sound City Satellite is set to bring the passion of Sound City to various key towns situated between both Manchester and Liverpool, as well as along the M62 corridor in the North of England.

“It [Sound City Satellite’ strikes right at the heart of what we originally set out to do: to champion emerging business and artistic talent from our region and give them the belief that they do not need to move away in order to fulfil their potential and run a successful business.  The aim will be to foster a spirit of inclusion.  That we are all in this together’.

“It is not meant as a snub to London, but it is meant to help people view the bigger picture as well as encourage artists and businesses to stay in the North and build a real business economy outside of the capital”.

Sound City Satellite is thought to take place between April-May 2018, with the locations being announced in early 2018.

Stay glued to Gigslutz for more information regarding Liverpool Sound City 2018 when we receive it.  For now thogh, relive the excitement of when Sound City announced their 10th birthday celebrations.

Ella Scott

Ella Scott

Gigslutz Editor, token Geordie and Blur fangirl. Naturally, achieving Vicky Pattinson's VIP edge is what drives me to get up in the morning.