AFTER two years of postponements, popular Cheshire festival bluedot is back and has revealed its line-up for 2022.
The award-winning music, science and culture event at the iconic Jodrell Bank Observatory is taking place between July 21 and 24, with Björk, Groove Armada, and Mogwai headlining.
Björk’s exclusive set will close bluedot with a uniquely commissioned performance alongside Manchester’s famed Hallé Orchestra, featuring incredible bespoke projections on the Lovell Telescope.
This will be the first-time audiences at bluedot have seen the dish of the 76-metre-wide telescope surface transformed into a gigantic digital artwork.
Confirmed for Friday night is one of the planet’s best-loved dance acts, Groove Armada.
With a career spanning more than 20 years, their live show will open bluedot 2022’s Friday night with a party, on what is the band’s final live tour.
Legendary Scottish post-rockers Mogwai will headline Saturday night, while Metronomy co-headline.
bluedot’s now-traditional Thursday opening concert is this year headlined with a special, collaborative performance between the Mercury-nominated Hannah Peel and Paraorchestra.
Other confirmed acts on the music bill include psychedelic space rockers Spiritualized, current chart-toppers Yard Act, Warp Records mainstay Squarepusher, multi-instrumentalist composer Anna Meredith, the legendary likes of A Certain Ratio and Tim Burgess, and techno producer and creator of the official theme for the 2023 Women’s World Cup Kelly Lee Owens. Other highlights include India Jordan, A Guy Called Gerald, Sofia Kourtesis and BBC Asian Network’s Manara.
bluedot has also announced the first headline names from its science programme for 2022.
Key speakers include host of Radio 4’s The Life Scientific Professor Jim Al-Khalili, British historian and filmmaker David Olusoga, leading space scientist Monica Grady, and astrophysicist and host of BBC’s The Sky at Night Chris Lintott.
Physicist Jess Wade will also be at Jodrell Bank with geoscientist Chris Jackson, Met Office’s Richard Betts, director of Tyndall Centre Carly McLachlan, ecotricity founder Dale Vince, immunologist Sheena Cruickshank, evolutionary psychologist Gilly Forrester, planetary scientist Sarah Crowther and the iconic cultural broadcaster and writer Jon Savage also appearing on the line-up.
Also revealed is a first taste of things of bluedot’s culture line-up.
Comedian, writer and director Stewart Lee brings his critically acclaimed music documentary ‘King Rocker’ to the festival, while podcaster and writer Adam Buxton will take to the stage with a live version of his hit comedy series BUG.
There will also be stand-up performances from Desiree Burch, Olga Koch, star of This Time with Alan Partridge and Shrill Lolly Adefope, Cosmic Shambles creator Robin Ince, Rob Rouse and Ahir Shah, plus live podcasts including new Scientist and the bluedot podcast with Chris Hawkins.
For the young adventurers in the family, highlights include curations from Wallace and Gromit creators Aardman Animations and Clangers, and an enormous range of science-focused activities, workshops and live experiments across the Star Fields.
Festival director Ben Robinson said: “After two years away we are thrilled to be able to return with such a unique and diverse line up to the iconic Jodrell Bank for the fifth instalment of bluedot.
“We can’t wait for people to join us beneath the Lovell Telescope in July to experience four days of cosmic adventures which will close with a very special orchestral performance from Björk and The Hallé.”
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