A Look Back at 2024…

We were honoured to be joined by bonafide legends Duran Duran this year, who took to the Sunday night headline slot on our Obelisk Arena. As the band paraded through their extensive catalogue of hits, we were reminded why their incredible legacy continues to endure after four decades.

Despite hailing from a stones throw away in Lowestoft, it’s a surprise that this was the first Latitude for The Darkness. However, judging by the reaction they received, it certainly won’t be the last. Rattling through their much-loved discography interspersed with callouts to friends and former classmates in the crowd, their long-awaited homecoming was one of the most special moments of the weekend.

Nobody knows how to get a crowd going like Rick Astley, and he proved it not once, but twice this weekend. His joyous set on our Obelisk Arena was followed by a sneaky secret show on our Trailer Park stage later that night, with him and his band donned in hazmat suits (naturally). Truly a one-of-a-kind performer, we’re never gonna give him up…

Myles Smith has had an incredible year. His debut single ‘Stargazing’ skyrocketed him to unimaginable heights that most artists only dream of, and we were thrilled when he took to our Second Stage for one of the busiest sets in the tent all weekend.

Leeds indie outfit English Teacher returned to the Henham Park fields, this time with a Mercury Prize nomination (and later win!) under their proverbial belts.

Future Islands’ headline appearance on our Second Stage was, as expected, a glorious display of intensity, mania and sincerity that left crowds in awe.

Fat Dog are a band rapidly on the rise, and their reception at Latitude this year showed that their momentum has no signs of slowing. With two lively performances, one packed-to-the-rafters daytime Sunrise Arena slot followed by a raucous 1am stopover on our Trailer Park stage, we have only one thing to say… it’s Fat Dog baby!

We also enjoyed a vast range of sensational sets from the likes of Kasabian, London Grammar, Keane, Alexis Ffrench, CMAT, Nile Rodgers, Corinne Bailey Rae, Good Neighbours, Lankum, and too many more to mention. What a year for music!

“I’ve only ever written one decent closing routine… I wrote it in September 1989”. A statement we don’t quite agree with given how Stuart Lee had us in stitches from start to finish during his phenomenal set on our Comedy Arena this summer.

Having already been hailed as ‘the new king of alternative comedy’, the absurdist humour from rising Aussie star Sam Campbell had us constantly gasping for breath in between laughs.

The formidable Joanne McNally took one of the top spots on our comedy line up this year, taking us through her relatable yet side-splitting anecdotes and sharp Irish wit.

TK Maxx presents The Comedy Arena saw no shortage of laughs this year, with rib-tickling sets from our wonderful headliners Judi Love and Sara Pascoe, pure hilarity from returning Latitude favourites Rosie Jones and Lucy Beaumont, a ventriloquism masterclass from Nina Conti, musical excellence from The Horne Section, and so many more. Our abs pained and our faces ached, but oh was it worth it.

Our children’s poetry competition with BBC Suffolk had it’s inaugural year in 2024, and our worthy winner (Anna, aged 11) recited her poem on the Waterfront Stage on the Thursday evening of Latitude. An adorable, wholesome start to the weekend that left everyone feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

An Evening Without Kate Bush – Kate Bush meets cabaret, what more could we ask for? Sarah Louise-Young’s haunting vocals are almost impossible to distinguish from the Cloudbusting icon, and when combined with her theatrics and razor sharp humour to boot, it made for a thoroughly entertaining experience.

However did we cope without witnessing the beauty and wonder of London City Ballet before? The group, making their Latitude debut after a 30 year hiatus from the world stage, captivated us with performances concocted by renowned artistic director Christopher Marney. It was beautiful, haunting, and stopped passers-by in their tracks to revel at their movements on the Waterfront Stage.

Seeing Boy Blue return to the Waterfront with their brilliant show ‘The Get Down’ was such exceptional fun that it made us want to drop all our other responsibilities and join their hip-hop theatre crew. Setting the tone for the weekend to come with a special Thursday evening show, their energetic performance featured backflips and breakdancing galore.

The Bard of Salford, The Doctor, The Punk Poet; whatever you want to call him, Dr John Cooper Clarke’s presence at Latitude is always palpable. Drawing perhaps the biggest crowd on The Listening Post all weekend for readings of his latest work ‘WHAT’, the icon showed us why he is still considered the people’s poet.

We had an abundance of artistic brilliance on offer this year, including next level circus by Circa: Humans 2.0, poetry from Luke Wright and Joelle Taylor, beautiful dance performances brought to you by DanceEast and The Place, a programme of talks hosted by Robin Ince, a series of theatre performances based on Greek mythology from Wright & Grainger, plus numerous podcasts, conversations, cabaret performances, club nights and so much more. We can’t wait to experience more cultural delights in 2025.

Back for another year spreading their message of mental health awareness and mindfulness were the brilliant team at The Zen Project with Mind, Body & Zen: a beautiful oasis in the heart of Henham Park. With a host of yoga, meditation and workshops to explore plus massages, saunas, and ice-baths, it’s always the perfect retreat from the madness of a festival. We can’t wait to find more zen in 2025.

We gorged, we devoured, we indulged. But isn’t that what a festival is for? With a plethora of delectable food traders across a wide variety of cuisines, plus our stunning on-site restaurant, The Hothouse, keeping us nourished all weekend long, it’s no wonder good food is such an important pillar of our ethos.

Festivals should be for all ages, which is why we’re so proud of our ever-growing family experience at Latitude. 2024 saw Camp Greenpeace expand into a bigger territory for sharing their environmental ethos, our Kids Area and Enchanted Garden created a fun and colourful haven for little ones, and The Inbetweeners Stage let local teens live out their musical dreams.

And just like that, another orbit around the sun passes and we draw ever nearer to yet another gorgeous summer in our beloved Henham Park. As Guy Garvey once sang, it’s all gonna be magnificent…