LET’S ROCK 2023
ONLY 7 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL THE UK’S BIGGEST RETRO FESTIVAL SERIES
KICKS OFF WITH LET’S ROCK THE MOOR (ON MAY 20th)
HEADLINERS ACROSS THIS SUMMER’S LET’S ROCK SHOWS INCLUDE
SOFT CELL, THE HUMAN LEAGUE, OMD, WET WET WET & BANANARAMA
+ VERY SPECIAL GUESTS THE BOOMTOWN RATS
“The UK’s finest touring mini-festival” Classic Pop
“The ultimate festival for all things retro” Daily Mirror
“Let’s put on a bit of blusher and pretend like the Eighties never ended” The Times
There are now only seven weeks to go until the UK’s biggest retro festival series Let’s Rock kicks off with Let’s Rock The Moor in Cookham (on Saturday May 20th).
The much-loved festival series runs all the way through to Let’s Rock Norwich on August 19th, taking in locations all over the UK and reaching an audience of well over 100,000+ people. A celebration of all things pop and ‘80s, Let’s Rock offers gloriously unpretentious non-stop fun, with legendary musicians performing hit after hit to a crowd of all ages, many of whom come dressed in their finest ‘80s fashion. Each festival features two headline acts plus a host of stars from the era when pop ruled the world.
In a line-up packed with iconic artists, Let’s Rock 2023 headliners include Soft Cell – who will be making their Let’s Rock debut – The Human League, OMD, Wet Wet Wet, Bananarama & Happy Mondays, plus very special guests The Boomtown Rats. Other performers across the nine 2023 festivals so far announced include Tony Hadley, Kim Wilde, Heaven 17, Midge Ure, Nik Kershaw, Soul II Soul, Go West, Imagination, Neville Staple, The Beat, The Undertones, Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats), Space, The Farm, JoBoxers, Heatwave, Heather Small, Five Star, T’Pau, Roland Gift, Doctor & The Medics, Sinitta and China Crisis. Kicking things off at each Let’s Rock festival is The Hit Factory featuring Blancmange, Livin’ Joy, Neal X (Sigue Sigue Sputnik), Janet Kay, Junior, Odyssey and Hollywood Beyond.
Electronic music pioneers Marc Almond & Dave Ball aka Soft Cell have sold over 10million albums worldwide and enjoyed twelve UK Top 40 hits in the early ‘80s, including their mega global No.1 smash “Tainted Love” plus further Top 5 singles “Bedsitter”, “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” and “Torch.” The duo reformed in 2018 to play a stunning sold-out reunion show at London’s 02, swiftly followed by the release of the duo’s first album of new material in two decades, the critically acclaimed ‘*Happiness Not Included.’ November 2021 saw Soft Cell celebrate the 40th anniversary of their legendary 1981 debut album ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret,’ touring and playing it in full for the very first time. Soft Cell’s debut Let’s Rock summer 2023 headline shows will be their first outdoor festival shows since 2003.
Marc Almond & Dave Ball (Soft Cell) comment: “We are delighted to be headlining so many Let’s Rock festivals in 2023. We’re playing Wales, Northern Ireland, Shrewsbury, Exeter, and Southampton for the first time ever as Soft Cell, as well as in our spiritual home of Leeds, and look forward to seeing everyone at this great festival.”
After two very challenging, pandemic-hit summers, 2022 saw the return of a full schedule of Let’s Rock festivals for the first time since 2019. In an exciting development, 2023 sees Let’s Rock partner with the national digital radio station Absolute 80s. Let’s Rock have also launched Let’s Rock Radio, a digital station where you can hear tracks from all your favourite Let’s Rock artists all day, every day, plus special shows presented by iconic Let’s Rock performers.
Let’s Rock works with many amazing charities including official charity partner Child Bereavement UK, who support families and educate professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a family is facing bereavement. Since partnering with UK Live in 2014, Child Bereavement have managed to raise over £800,000 at the Lets Rock festivals.
Child Bereavement UK Community Projects Manager Lorna Murchi comments: “I’m absolutely delighted and incredibly grateful to everyone who attended the Let’s Rock festivals and gave so generously in aid of Child Bereavement UK in 2022. Every bit of change popped in a collection tin, wristband or raffle ticket purchased and auction bid paid, adds up and makes a huge difference to the bereaved children, parents, and families we support across the UK. To give some perspective, £130,000 could fund our national helpline for over four months, giving a lifeline to families when they need it most. Thank you for your wonderful support!”
LET’S ROCK FESTIVAL SERIES 2023
[HEADLINERS IN BOLD]
MAY 20 LET’S ROCK THE MOOR – MARSH MEADOW, COOKHAM, BERKS
OMD, THE BOOMTOWN RATS + KIM WILDE, SOUL II SOUL, NIK KERSHAW, SPACE,
THE FARM, T’PAU, ROLAND GIFT, HUE & CRY + MANY MORE
Tickets: https://letsrockthemoor.com/
MAY 27 LET’S ROCK WALES – BUTE PARK, NORTH ROAD, CARDIFF
SOFT CELL, WET WET WET + TONY HADLEY, IMAGINATION, NIK KERSHAW, GO WEST,
JOBOXERS, HEATHER SMALL, HEATWAVE, HUE & CRY, FIVE STAR + MANY MORE
Tickets: https://letsrockwales.com/
JUNE 10 LET’S ROCK THE NORTH EAST – ALBERT PARK, MIDDLESBOUGH
THE HUMAN LEAGUE, OMD + MIDGE URE, NIK KERSHAW, SLIM JIM PHANTOM (STRAY CATS), THE BEAT, GO WEST, ROLAND GIFT, HUE & CRY, FIVE STAR + MANY MORE
Tickets: https://letsrockthenortheast.com/
JUNE 17 LET’S ROCK LEEDS – TEMPLE NEWSAM, LEEDS
SOFT CELL, OMD + TONY HADLEY, THE REAL THING, THE FARM, MIDGE URE, HEATWAVE, SLIM JIM PHANTOM (STRAY CATS), ROLAND GIFT, HUE & CRY + MANY MORE
Tickets: https://letsrockleeds.com/
JUNE 24 LET’S ROCK SCOTLAND – DALKEITH COUNTRY PARK, MIDLOTHIAN
THE HUMAN LEAGUE, WET WET WET + TONY HADLEY, THE BEAT, THE FARM, MIDGE URE,
SLIM JIM PHANTOM (STRAY CATS), ROLAND GIFT, HUE & CRY + MANY MORE
Tickets: https://letsrockscotland.com/
JULY 1 LET’S ROCK EXETER – POWDERHAM CASTLE, KENTON, EXETER
SOFT CELL, OMD + TONY HADLEY, MIDGE URE, THE UNDERTONES, THE BEAT, THE FARM, GO WEST, ROLAND GIFT, SINITTA + MANY MORE
Tickets: https://letsrockexeter.com
JULY 8 LET’S ROCK SOUTHAMPTON – SOUTHAMPTON COMMON, SOUTHAMPTON
SOFT CELL, THE BOOMTOWN RATS + KIM WILDE, SLIM JIM PHANTOM (STRAY CATS),
NEVILLE STAPLE, HEAVEN 17, THE FARM, GO WEST, HEATWAVE, SINITTA + MANY MORE
Tickets: https://letsrocksouthampton.com/
JULY 15 LET’S ROCK SHREWSBURY – THE QUARRY, SHREWSBURY
SOFT CELL, THE BOOMTOWN RATS, MIDGE URE, HEAVEN 17, THE UNDERTONES,
NEVILLE STAPLE, T’PAU, HUE & CRY, CHINA CRISIS, FIVE STAR + MANY MORE
Tickets: https://letsrockshrewsbury.com/
AUGUST 5 LET’S ROCK NORTHERN IRELAND – WARD PARK, BANGOR
SOFT CELL, THE BOOMTOWN RATS + KIM WILDE, MIDGE URE, THE UNDERTONES,
ROLAND GIFT, SINITTA, HUE & CRY + MANY MORE
Tickets: https://letsrocknorthernireland.com/
AUGUST 19 LET’S ROCK NORWICH – EARLHAM PARK, NORWICH
BANANARAMA, HAPPY MONDAYS + TONY HADLEY, THE FARM, HEAVEN 17, MIDGE URE, NEVILLE STAPLE, JOHNNY HATES JAZZ, FIVE STAR, TOYAH, T’PAU & MANY, MANY MORE
Tickets: https://letsrocknorwich.com/
