Godiva Festival
The Godiva Festival is a three-day music festival held each year in the War Memorial Park, Coventry, England, named after the city's famous former inhabitant Lady Godiva. It first appeared as a day-long event in 1997 and became a three-day event the following year in 1998. It is the largest family music festival in the UK, and is made up of two fields; a Main Field and a Family field, which each offer a different experience.
| Godiva Festival | |
|---|---|
 Godiva Festival 2016 | |
| Dates | July |
| Location(s) | War Memorial Park, Coventry, England |
| Years active | 1998–2019, 2021– |
| Founded by | Coventry and Warwickshire promotions /CVOne/Coventry City Council |
| Capacity | 40,000 |
| Website | GodivaFestival.com |
Format
The modern three-day music festival is a non-profit making event organised by Coventry City Council.
The festival attracted 148,000 visits in 2016[1] to a 12-acre (49,000 m2) site in Coventry's War Memorial Park.
The festival includes a dedicated Main Stage[2] which has played host to a wide array of mainstream and independent acts, including Kasabian, Biffy Clyro, The Charlatans, The Boomtown Rats, Scouting For Girls, The Wombats, Don Broco, Embrace, Fun Lovin' Criminals, the Buzzcocks, the Happy Mondays and The Enemy. The other large stage on the Main Field is the Rock/Rhythm Tent, which plays host to rock/metal acts on Friday night, and has seen artists such as Neck Deep, Slaves and Kids in Glass Houses perform since its introduction in 2014. Saturday's Rhythm Tent[3] has seen acts such as Fuse ODG, JME, Big Narstie and D Double E.
Other features of the festival include the Family Field, an Acoustic Stage, a Paradise Tent, food stalls, a Hilltop bar, craft stalls, an Urban Youth Tent, a vintage market and a fairground.[4]
The Family Field often sees attractions such as a petting farm, charity village, Community Stage, Lives and Times area, Greenspace area, Make Space tent, a funfair, cycle training, falconry and visits from local groups such as the Coventry Bears and the Fire Service.[4]
Godiva Festival was a free, ticketless festival, that anyone can attend, until ticketing and charges were introduced in 2019.[5][6] In 2019 the capacity of the festival was 40,000.[7]
Lineups
2023
The 2023 festival will take place from 30 June to 2 July.[8] In February 2023, it was announced that The Enemy would headline on Friday 30 June.[9] The Saturday headline was next to be announced as Rudimental.[10] Mel C would be the headline for the Sunday and final day of the festival.[11]
2022
The 2022 festival took place from 2 to 4 September, to avoid a clash with BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend.[12] The headline acts were announced in April 2022, The Libertines played the Friday slot, Tom Grennan on Saturday and Bananarama headlined on Sunday.[13]
2021
The 2021 festival took place from 3 to 5 September, but with a limited capacity because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] The Saturday night headline was announced on 26 July 2021 as Craig David who would be performing his TS5 DJ Set.[15] The headline act for the final day of the festival was announced as Sister Sledge, with Fun Lovin' Criminals and David Rodigan also appearing.[16] Another performer for the Saturday was announced on 5 August 2021, Sophie Ellis-Bextor.[17]
2020
The 2020 festival was announced as taking place from 3 to 5 July,[18] but was cancelled in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[19]
2019
The 2019 festival took place from 5 to 7 July. The first act to be announced was Busted who headlined on the closing day of the festival.[20] Subsequently, Brighton based folk-rock band Levellers have been confirmed as headlining on the opening night (Friday).[21] as well as Frank Iero and the Future Violents in the Rock & Rhythm tent. The Saturday headline act was announced as Welsh rock band Feeder.[22] Cornflakes at Kelly's, a local Coventry punk band also performed their festival debut, on the main stage on Saturday too.[23]
2018
The 2018 festival confirmed in February that it would take place from 31 August to 2 September.[24] Ronan Keating was announced, in March 2018, as the Sunday headline act.[25] A Saturday main stage act was announced at the end of April 2018 as Gabrielle.[26] Other acts announced for the Saturday were Professor Green, Jonas Blue, Blood Red Shoes and Little Comets.[27] The Friday night headliner was announced in June 2018 as Jake Bugg, at the same time Rae Morris and Kyle Falconer were announced as performers in the Rhythm Tent on the Saturday.[28] As the end of July 2018 Editors were announced as the Saturday headline act on the main stage.[29]
2017
Godiva Festival 2017 was confirmed in January 2017[30] for 7–9 July, and took place in the War Memorial Park. On 8 February 2017, The Darkness was announced as the Sunday headline act.[31] On 20 February 2017, The Stranglers were confirmed as the Friday night headline act.[32]
2016
Coventry Godiva Festival 2016 was confirmed in January 2016, and took place on 1–3 July in the War Memorial Park.[33] The Friday night headline was the Boomtown Rats supported by Space.[34] The Saturday headline was The Charlatans supported by Mystery Jets.[35] The Sunday headline was Scouting for Girls,[36] who were supported by The Pigeon Detectives.[37]
The weekend saw Godiva Festival visited over 148,000 times and was the most successful festival to date.[38]
| Day | Main Stage | Rock/Rhythm Tent | Paradise Tent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday |
|
|
|
| Saturday |
|
|
|
| Sunday |
|
|
|
2015
The 2015 Godiva Festival took place from 3 to 5 July.[39] The headline act for Friday was Fun Lovin' Criminals, Saturday The Wombats and Sunday Embrace.[39]
| Day | Main Stage | Rock Tent/Rhythm Tent/Young Entertainer | Paradise Tent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday |
|
|
|
| Saturday |
|
|
|
| Sunday |
|
|
|
2014
The 2014 Godiva Festival took place from 4 to 6 July.[40] The headline act was the Happy Mondays.[40]
| Day | Main Stage | Rock/Rhythm Tent | Paradise Tent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday |
|
|
|
| Saturday |
|
|
|
| Sunday |
|
|
|
2013
The 2013 Godiva Festival took place from 5 to 7 July 2013.[41] Friday was headlined by Echo & the Bunnymen who were to headline in the 2012 cancelled event. Saturday was headlined by Maxïmo Park and Sunday starred the Loveable Rogues and Amelia Lily.[42] The festival claimed to have broken attendance records with over 125,000 visits being estimated over the three days.[43]
| Day | Main Stage | Rhythm Tent |
|---|---|---|
| Friday |
|
|
| Saturday |
|
|
| Sunday |
|
|
2012
The 2012 festival was scheduled to take place Friday 30 June to Sunday 1 July,[44] but bad weather forced the event to be cancelled.[45]
Friday was scheduled to be headlined by Echo & the Bunnymen with Space in support.[44] Saturday was scheduled with Cast as headliners, with support from The View and The Pigeon Detectives.[44] Sunday evening was scheduled to link in with the arrival of the Olympic torch relay and the lighting of the Olympic beacon in the park.[46]
The festival was cancelled by Coventry City Council on 29 June 2012, owing to the recent 'bad weather conditions causing unstable ground'. The Olympic torch procession continued unaffected.[47]
2011
The 2011 Godiva Festival took place from Friday 1 July to Sunday 3 July. The headline acts were Heaven 17 and Athlete,[48] attended by a record-breaking crowd of 120,000 people.[49]
2010
The 2010 Godiva Festival took place from Friday 2 July to Sunday 4 July.
2009
The 2009 Godiva Festival took place from Friday 3 July to Sunday 5 July, headlined by Scottish alternative band Idlewild.
| Day | Electric Stage | Rhythm Tent |
|
Friday |
|
|
|
Saturday |
|
|
|
Sunday |
|
|
2008
The 2008 Godiva Festival took place from Friday 4 July to Sunday 6 July, headlined by the Coventry band The Enemy.
| Day | Electric Stage | Rhythm Tent | Spotlight Tent | Market Stage |
|
Friday |
|
|
|
|
|
Saturday |
|
|
|
|
|
Sunday |
|
|
|
2007
The 2007 Godiva Festival took place from Friday 13 July to Sunday 15 July with headliners Super Furry Animals.[50] It was also the tenth year for the festival.
| Day | Electric Stage | Rhythm Tent | Spotlight Tent | Market Stage |
|
Friday |
|
|
|
|
|
Saturday |
|
|
| |
|
Sunday |
|
|
|
|
2006
The 2006 festival took take place from Friday 14 July to Sunday 16 July with headliners Mercury Rev.[51]
| Day | Electric Stage | Rhythm Tent | Spotlight Tent | Paradise Tent |
|
Friday |
|
|
|
|
|
Saturday |
|
|
|
|
|
Sunday |
|
|
|
2005
The 2005 festival took place Friday 8 July to Sunday 10 July.[52]
It was the first time the comedy stage appeared and featured Shappi Khorsandi. Also on the Friday night Nerina Pallot performed and John Burnside recited poetry.
On Saturday the main stage lineup was:
Whilst EcoRhythm consisted of:
2004
The 2004 festival took place Friday 11 June to Sunday 13 June.
The Saturday-night main stage lineup was:[53]
2003
The 2003 festival took place Friday 6 June to Sunday 8 June.
The Saturday-night main stage lineup included:[54]
2002
The 2002 festival took place Friday 7 June to Sunday 9 June. It was the fifth year the festival had taken place.
Bands who played include:
1998
The second Godiva Festival was held on Friday 5 until Sunday 7 June 1998.
The main-stage headline acts on the two weekend days were Banco de Gaia and Silinder Pardesi, respectively.
References
- "Festival Fever". Godiva Festival Official Website. Godiva Festival.
- "Godiva Festival". godivafestival.com/attractions.
- "Godiva Festival".
- Festival, Coventry Godiva. "Coventry Godiva Festival Attractions Information". godivafestival.com. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- "Information". godivafestival.com. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
- "Charges introduced at Coventry's Godiva Festival". BBC News. BBC. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
- "Coventry Godiva Festival 2019". eFestivals. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- Eccleston, Ben (9 December 2022). "Godiva Festival 2023 dates revealed as summertime slot returns". Coventry Live. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Kaur, Jaspreet (24 February 2023). "Coventry band The Enemy to headline Godiva Festival 2023". Coventry Live. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Smith, Nick (28 February 2023). "Rudimental to headline Saturday night at Godiva Festival 2023". Coventry Live. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Smith, Nick (1 March 2023). "Spice Girl Mel C to headline Sunday night at Godiva Festival". Coventry Live. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Johnson, Morgan (23 March 2022). "Godiva festival dates announced for 2022". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Suart, Paul (27 April 2022). "Godiva Festival 2022 - line-up names revealed as tickets go on sale". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Thompson, Danny (21 July 2021). "Godiva Festival will return this summer but with limited capacity". Coventry Live. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Smith, Nick (27 July 2021). "First Godiva Festival headliner revealed". Coventry Live. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Hughes, Lorna (5 August 2021). "Sister Sledge to headline third day of Coventry's Godiva Festival". Coventry Live. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Eccleston, Ben (5 August 2021). "Godiva Festival: Sophie Ellis-Bextor is latest name announced for main stage". Coventry Live. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Sandford, Elis (22 January 2020). "Godiva Festival 2020: Ticket price rise confirmed as dates announced". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Sandford, Elis (20 March 2020). "Godiva Festival cancelled as advice warns Covid-19 pandemic could last into summer". Coventry Evening Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Hainey, Fionnula (8 April 2019). "Revealed: The Sunday headline act for Godiva Festival". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Harrison, Claire (18 April 2019). "Godiva Festival: Friday night headliner announced". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Sandford, Elis (6 June 2019). "Saturday headliner announced for Godiva Festival". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Hainey, Fionnula (3 July 2019). "Godiva Festival 2019: Full schedule and stage times". coventrytelegraph. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- Mullen, Enda (8 February 2018). "Godiva Festival being moved back to end of August". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Hartley, Laura (15 March 2018). "Ronan Keating announced as first headliner for Godiva Festival 2018". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- Eccleston, Ben (30 April 2018). "Godiva Festival: Gabrielle joins line-up for 2018 event". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Eccleston, Ben (14 June 2018). "Godiva Festival 2018: Professor Green joins line-up as four more acts announced". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- "Friday night headliner and two more artists join Godiva Festival line up!". Visit Coventry and Warwickshire. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
- Hainey, Fionnula (24 July 2018). "Godiva Festival: Editors announced as Saturday night headliners". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Hartley, Laura (31 January 2017). "Godiva Festival is back and it's still FREE Coventry City Council confirms". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Rodger, James (8 February 2017). "The Darkness to headline Sunday night at Godiva Festival 2017". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- "Friday night headliner confirmed for Godiva Festival 2017". Coventry City Council. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- "It's official - Coventry Godiva Festival confirmed for 2016!". Coventry City Council. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
- Bannister, Antonia (8 March 2016). "Revealed: Sir Bob Geldof's band The Boomtown Rats to headline Friday night at Godiva Festival". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Bannister, Antonia (25 February 2016). "Indie legends The Charlatans to headline this year's Godiva Festival". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Rodger, James (6 April 2016). "Godiva Festival lineup 2016: Who is playing?". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Gibbons, Duncan (8 April 2016). "Pigeon Detectives to support Scouting for Girls at Coventry Godiva Festival". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- "Godiva Festival". godivafestival.com. Coventry City Council. 2016.
- Rodger, James (24 April 2015). "Godiva Festival 2015: Who's playing?". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- "Coventry's Godiva Festival to return for 2014". BBC News. BBC. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
- "Save the date!". Godiva Festival. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- "Godiva Festival 2013". Godiva Festival. 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
- "Godiva Festival attracts record numbers to park". BBC News. BBC. 8 July 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
- "The Godiva Festival 2012 - Line-up revealed". Coventry City Council. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- "The Godiva Festival 2012 - Cancelled". Coventry City Council. 29 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
- "Olympic Torch Relay Evening Celebration Event". Coventry City Council. 2012. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- Bates, Matthew (29 June 2012). "Godiva Festival 2012 cancelled due to bad weather". Coventry Observer. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
- "Godiva Festival: the full line-up of what's on when". Coventry Telegraph. 1 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- "Organisers confirm record-breaking crowds for Coventry's Godiva Festival". Coventry Telegraph. 5 July 2011. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- "Coventry Godiva Festival 2007 line-up and rumours - eFestivals.co.uk". efestivals.co.uk.
- "Coventry Godiva Festival 2006 line-up and rumours - eFestivals.co.uk". efestivals.co.uk.
- "Coventry Godiva Festival 2005 - eFestivals.co.uk". efestivals.co.uk.
- "BBC - Coventry and Warwickshire Features - Godiva Festival in Pictures".
- "BBC - Coventry and Warwickshire Features - Godiva Festival 2003". bbc.co.uk.
External links
