first acts announced for Liverpool International Music Festival

Liverpool International Music Festival 2014

Wednesday 13th to Sunday 31st August 2014
various venues , Liverpool, Merseyside, L17 1AF, England MAP
prices vary depending upon event

Boy George, Shaggy, Tim Burgess, Goldie, The Hoosiers, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Lemar, The Farm, John Power, Marsha Ambrosius, Lightning Seeds, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra lead the first wave of acts announced for the 2nd Liverpool International Music Festival taking place between Friday 15th and Sunday 31st August at multiple venues across the city.

From Saturday to Monday, the Central Stage will have different themes: Saturday – British Invasion; Sunday – World Music; Monday – Summer Sessions. The highlights announced so far are:

The LIMF Summer Jam on the evening of Friday 22 August, sees Ian Broudie and Lightning Seeds, join the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra for a joint performance in Sefton Park. Free event.

During the afternoon of Saturday 23 August the LIMF Summer Jam sees
the Central Stage themed 'British Invasion' with acts playing tribute to bands that broke America including The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and The Who. While on The International Emerging Sounds Stage will be Jamaica’s Stylo G, Japan's WordySoulSpeak, and Iceland's Samaris. Free event.

On the afternoon of Sunday 24 August, Shaggy, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, and Goldie are just some of the acts to take to the Central Stage while the the Liverpool stage will play host to By The Sea, Tyler Mensah, and Sophia Ben-Yousef. Free event.

The Park on Monday 25 August will host several artists yet to be announced alongside Lemar, The Hoosiers, Marsha Ambrosius, The Farm, John Power, Rustie, and Evian Christ. Free event

From Saturday 23 to Monday 25 August The LIMF Academy returns for a second time which aims to inspire the next generation of musicians and performers. Aimed at 13-21 year olds there will be workshops, performance opportunities and master classes by some of the industry’s leading music experts. Free event

As well as Central Stage there are will be four other music areas he it’s Liverpool Stage with BBC Radio Merseyside, The International Emerging Sounds Stage will host artists from around the globe, The LIMF Bandstand will give a platform to local unsigned talent, and The LIMF Academy will showcase fifteen of the region’s hottest up and coming young acts.

One of the key aims of this year is to create never before seen or heard music performances via a series of LIMF Commissions under the theme of World Firsts By Collaboration. This will see four special commissions all of which will be ticketed events:

Steve Levine’s Assembly Point Sessions on Thursday 21 August sees producer Steve Levine artistically direct a project where acts use traditional and new technology to collaborate together for an exclusive performance at St George’s Hall. Featured performers includeTim Burgess, Pete Wylie, Bernard Butler, and Boy George.

You Are Here Symbolically representing the countries that made up the Triple Entente (the United Kingdom, France and Russia), You Are Here will consist of musicians exploring what home means to them. Created by the force behind SevenStreets, David Lloyd, the piece will premiere at LIMF on Saturday 23 August in Sefton Park’s Palm House.

Minor Characters – Music manager Chris Bye and The Quietus will bring together six artists to create an original body of work which will be released digitally through The Quietus label. Participants include Forest Swords, East India Youth, and Luke Abbott. It will take place at The Kazimier on Friday 29 August.

Migration Music - The Everyman will play host to Liverpool’s Sense Of Sound Choir, who will collaborate with beatboxer Shlomo, in a voice only performance which invites the audience to travel through significant moments in music history.

Also confirmed are Jus Now, Swindle, Moongai, Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Kate Tempest, Alizzz, Sevdaliza, Hjaltalin, Full Crate X Mar, AZ & Tor, Jesse Boykins III, Daithi, Inc, Kobi Onyame, Emaline Delapaix, All You Need Is Love, Rocks Off, Who's next?, Kinx, Robbo Ranx, Muvelo, Yabba Funk, The Future Trad Collective, Ice Prince, DJ Edu, Seani B, M.O, Tea Street Band, Ghostchant, Baltic Fleet, Veyu, Taylor Fowlis, Soho Riots, Sub Blue, Bernie Connor, Paige D, Thom Morecroft, David Hirst, Silent Cities, Emma Blakk, Emilio Pinchi, Jamie Broad, Dominic Dunn, Amique, Dead Hedge Trio, Silent Sleep, Lizzie Nunnery, Johnny Panic & the Fever, Silent Sleep, Shell Deliah, Future, Janiece Myers, She Drew The Gun, Matt Barton & The Carers, Nick Ellis, Rob Vincent, and Mike Badger & the Shady Trio .

For the day and stage splits click here.

Other events that make up the programme include International Beatle Week, Summer Camp, Above The Beaten Track and Boiler Room: Circus.

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