Taking to the stage itself will be Dr Tim O’Brien. A Reader in Astrophysics at the University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank, O’Brien is an expert on both the workings of the iconic Lovell Telescope and the fascinating findings it has uncovered from deep space. Proving science can be as captivating as any rock ‘n’ roll, O’Brien will introduce the workings of the giant telescope and, weather permitting, steer it around the sky live with the help of Jodrell Bank’s Telescope Controller.
The audience will benefit from free entry to the Space Pavilion, Jodrell Bank’s newly built visitors centre, until 5pm. Gig-goers will be able to take away printouts of live signals received by the Lovell Telescope, discover how hot or cold they are with the use of the centre’s infra-red camera, see the astronomy picture of their birthday and listen to the sound of the Big Bang. There will be rolling Q&A sessions in the events space including some amazing “sounds from space”. Let loose around the site will be real live astronomers and students from the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics. They’ll be on hand in the exhibition space and around the site, demonstrating physics tricks and discussing their science. If the weather cooperates, special telescopes will look to the Sun and will later in the evening survey some of the wonders of the night sky.
Aiding the event’s sell out crowd, the festival site is accessible via a number of specially laid on coaches from key locations including Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool. Coach tickets priced at £14.50 return, plus booking fee, can be purchased from the Live From Jodrell Bank or Ticketline websites.
Before the first note has yet been played, Live From Jodrell Bank: Transmission 001 has truly caught the attention of music and festival fans in the UK. It took a mere three weeks for all tickets to sell out. Listed as one of the “12 reasons this festival season will be the best” by The Guardian and one of “the new hot festivals” by Grazia, Live From Jodrell Bank will reveal more much-anticipated line-ups in the near future.