As the countdown continues to V Festival 2016, sponsored by Virgin Media, excitement is set to reach fever pitch amongst fans today, as details about the scale of Justin Bieber’s exclusive headline performance are revealed. The set is alleged to be the most challenging production the festival has ever seen in its 21-year history – one requirement will see 800 gallons of perfectly purified, 40-degree water soak the superstar, front of stage.
With just over three weeks to go until the festival, Justin Bieber is this week celebrating the news that he reached No.1 in the Spotify Global Streaming Charts for his track with Major Lazer and singer MØ, knocking Drake off the top spot.
Also announced today are the hotly anticipated stage splits for the festivals UK sites at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and at Weston Park in Staffordshire across the 19th to 21st August.
As the festival marks its 21st anniversary next month, organisers have gone the extra mile this year, exclusively securing some of the biggest recording artists on the planet. Tickets for both V Festival sites have been furiously snapped up leaving only a very limited few tickets remaining for those lucky enough to bag one.
Virgin Media Stage
Performing exclusively at his only European festival this summer, Justin Bieber will headline the Virgin Media Stage on Saturday 20th August in Chelmsford and Sunday 21st August in Staffordshire. Bieber’s most recent album Purpose smashed UK chart records earlier this year by simultaneously charting three singles in the top five spots.
Also exclusively headlining the Virgin Media Stage will be international, Bajan megastar Rihanna, who returns to V Festival this summer after a break of five years, with what promises to be a supercharged performance on Saturday 20th August in Staffordshire and Sunday 21st August closing the Chelmsford site.
Adding to V Festival 2016’s international superstar line-up will be Australian superstar songstress, Sia, and superstar DJ, David Guetta – who are both UK festival exclusives for V Festival 2016.
Sia, who is world famous for her own critically acclaimed material and was one of the standout performances at this year’s Coachella Festival, will take to the Virgin Media Stage in Chelmsford on Saturday 20th and Staffordshire on Sunday 21st. Joining her on the same day of performances will be British indie rock favourites Bastille, Grammy winner Jess Glynne, singer-songwriter James Morrison, Joe Jonas’ pop rock band DNCE, American singer-songwriter Halsey and recent chart-topper Mike Posner.
Global DJ phenomenon David Guetta, one of the most successful artist DJ’s in UK chart history, will be getting the crowds at Weston Park in Staffordshire jumping on Saturday 20th and again in Chelmsford on Sunday 21st. Sharing the Virgin Media Stage on the same day will be the world’s biggest girl group Little Mix, BBC Sound of 2015 winners Years & Years, BRIT Award winners Travis, recently reformed legendary girl group All Saints, festival favourite Example and fast rising American singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha.
MTV Stage
Taking the top spot at this year’s MTV Stage, on Saturday 20th in Chelmsford and Sunday 21st in Staffordshire,will be legendary group Faithless who return to V Festival for their seventh time. Joining them will be two-time BRIT winner Tinie Tempah, party starter JohnNewman, chart topper Troye Sivan andcelebrated hit maker Rick Astley, (whose recent new album debuted in the UK at No.1), Grammy winner Foxes, Grammy nominated Londoner MNEK, Swedish singer-songwriter Zara Larsson, Irish rock group Walking on Cars and Canadian singer-songwriter Alx Veliz.
BRIT award winners Kaiser Chiefs will also be bringing their many hits to the MTV Stage on Saturday 20th in Staffordshire and Sunday 21st in Chelmsford. The MTV stage continues with singer-songwriter Jake Bugg, BRIT award winner Tom Odell, Mercury Prize nominee Katy B, X Factor StarFleur East, Danish chart-topping soul pop band Lukas Graham, , British DJ and ‘Tropical House’ record producer Sigala, US hip hop artist Big Sean,English rapper Lethal Bizzle and soulful singer, young Londoner Zak Abel.
Dance Arena
The Dance Arena will be jumping with performances from UK garage favourite Craig David TS5 on Saturday 20th in Chelmsford and Sunday 21st in Staffordshire. V Festival goers will be able to dance non-stop to DJ sets from Wilkinson and Sigma, Kurupt FM, MistaJam, My Nu Leng, Monki and Tom Zanetti & KO Kane.
On Saturday 20th in Staffordshire and Sunday 21st in Chelmsford, the Dance Arena audiences will be able to witness pulsating performances from the garage music extraordinaire DJ EZ and deep house favourite MK. Joining them in the arena will be Tchami, Flight Facilities, Blonde, Philip George, Low Steppa, Jonas Blue and Icarus.
V Street Stage
Headlining V Festival’s V Street Stage on Saturday 20th in Chelmsford and Sunday 21st in Staffordshire will be legendary hip-hop act The Sugarhill Gang. Joining them will be Rudimental vocalist turnedsolo star Anne-Marie, Jojo, WSTRN, Angel, Ady Suleiman, Raye, Moxie Raia, The Main Level, Raye andJodie Abacus.
The V Street Stage on Saturday 20th in Staffordshire and Sunday 21st in Chelmsford will welcome British Grammy award winners Soul II Soul. They will be joined by outstanding British soul singers Laura Mvula and Corinne Bailey Rae, Liverpudlian rock group The Lightning Seeds (who played the very first V Festival in 1996), singer Gavin James, Def Jam artist Bibi Bourelly, Eliza and The Bear, K Stewart, Freak and Claudia Kane.
Glee Comedy Tent
The V Festival Glee Comedy Tent will be roaring with laughter as an all-star line up of comedians entertain the crowds. The incomparable comedic talents of Bobby Mair, Dane Baptiste, Tom Stade, Andy Robinson, Jen Brister, Nathan Caton, Adam Hills, Ivo Graham, Sara Pascoe, Matt Richardson(appearing in Hylands Park on Saturday 20th only), Andrew Bird, Joe Bor, Allyson June Smith (appearing in Weston Park Sunday 21st only)and MC Kevin McCarthy will be onstage on Saturday 20th in Chelmsford and Sunday 21st in Staffordshire.
And laughter keeps coming the with Bill Bailey, Josh Widdicombe, Katherine Ryan, Danny Slim Gray, Craig Murray, Jarred Christmas, Andrew Stanley, John Fothergill, Michael Fabri, Alex Edelman, Tom Deacon, Funmbi Omotayo and MC Mark Olver who will be performing on Saturday 20th at Staffordshire and Sunday 21st at Chelmsford.
BBC Radio 1 Summer of Dance
And to kick off the party weekend, V Festival 2016 will present BBCRadio 1 Summer of Dance Stage on Friday 19th August, featuring some of the hottest dance acts on the planet split across the Chelmsford and Staffordshire sites. Radio 1 DJs Annie Mac and Danny Howard will play both sites, travelling between them on the Friday via helicopter. Annie and Danny will be joined by Eric Prydz, MistaJam and MK in Chelmsford, with Gorgon City (Live), Wilkinson (Live), and Monki in Staffordshire.
