The 17th Latitude Festival has come to an end, and we’re all still riding the high from a joyous Sunday, featuring performances from George Ezra, Siouxsie, James and more. Read on for a recap of the unforgettable last day of the festival…
What a weekend! In our final highlights roundup, we look back on some of the standout performances from the last day of the festival.
JAMES
Bleary-eyed festivalgoers made their way to the Obelisk Arena to see it opened by James, in an extra-special set accompanied by the Manchester Inspirational Voices gospel choir and a 20-piece orchestra. Any Sunday morning sluggishness was quickly swept away by the band’s extremely stripped-down rendition of their 90s raver anthem ‘Sit Down’, easing the crowd into a journey through their back catalogue. The energy gradually amped up, until the set ended with a performance of ‘Laid’, filling the arena with a sea of fans trying (and occasionally succeeding) to hit those notorious high notes. All in all, a perfect way to kick off the final day of Latitude, and a perfect hangover cure.
MODERNLOVE.
Irish quartet modernlove. emerged during the pandemic, quickly making waves in the music scene, and for the very first time, graced the lands of Latitude for their debut at the Alcove stage. With an electric performance and lead singer Barry Lally’s raspy vocals, their indie-pop tunes captivated the crowd in an instant, while their signature melodic riffs and weighty drumbeats took the fans on a journey of thrilling highs and calmer moments. Ending their set with the bouncy ‘Follow You’, the four friends left the crowd hungry for more, marking the next step on their rapid upward trajectory.
DARKFIELD: EULOGY
Renowned immersive production company Darkfield took over Latitude festival for an extraordinary and ethereal voyage into the depths of a hotel, creating an unparalleled experience during which curious thrillseekers were taken on a journey in absolute darkness. Championing cutting-edge binaural sound and speech recognition technology to bewilder the senses and carry spectators through an enigmatic and somewhat unsettling establishment, Eulogy had festivalgoers wander through winding realms and dance along the blurry lines of imagination and reality.
SOPHIE MAY
Introducing Sophie May, the talented 24-year-old rising singer-songwriter who has been making waves since her breakthrough EP, ‘You Do Not Have To Be Good’. On early Sunday, the young star whisked away her enamoured crowd with her sweet melodies and sharp lyrical prowess, with a setlist featuring popular hits like ‘Bad Man’, ‘With The Band’ and the TikTok hit ‘Lover Boy’. With yet another EP on the horizon, which is set to be released in August, Sophie May is undoubtedly one to watch in the music scene and we already cannot wait for her to grace Latitude’s stages once more very soon.
SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR
The crowd went wild as Sophie Ellis-Bextor strode on to the stage in one of her trademark sequinned leotards, launching into a string of hits including ‘Groovejet’, ‘Take Me Home’ and ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’, as well as covering Cher, Madonna and Mojo. The show was very much a family affair – Ellis-Bextor had her husband on bass, her brother on drums, her mother looking on fondly from backstage and an image of her son plastered on the backdrop – it was as if we’d been transported to the iconic Kitchen Disco.
SIOUXSIE
BBC Sounds stage headliner Siouxsie made Latitude history on Sunday night, continuing a run of shows after a hiatus of ten years and making for one of the most memorable performances of the weekend. The punk legend’s set was one of the most eagerly anticipated of the weekend, and fans were certainly not disappointed. Donning a radiant silver jumpsuit, Siouxsie had the audience utterly entranced – spellbound, even – with hits ‘Dear Prudence’ and ‘Hong Kong Garden’ met with the most uproarious of cheers.
GEORGE EZRA
To great excitement, happy-go-lucky folk pop artist George Ezra closed a weekend of incredible live music, following the success of his acclaimed third UK No. 1 album Gold Rush Kid, which includes festival staples like ‘Anyone For You’ and ‘Green Green Grass’. So, on Sunday evening, Ezra once more charmed the Latitude crowd as the sunset turned into a glowing full moon skyscape and the fields were washed in gold hues and filled with an electrifying atmosphere. While the singer-songwriter’s genuine and down-to-earth performance style resonated with the audience, singalong anthems like ‘Budapest’ and the final closer ‘Shotgun’ had everyone celebrating and throwing their hands in the air. And as the bright fireworks lit up the starry night sky, the radiant smiles and the wish to do it all over again that stayed behind long after the final note had fallen.
They say that time flies when you’re having fun, and the same can certainly be said for this weekend. Latitude 2023 was a roaring success – next year can’t come soon enough. Tickets for 2024 have just been released – so beat the post-festival blues and grab yours now!
by Laura Weingrill and Alison Hall