Sigma, The Wombats and more lead the LIMF lineup for 2016

The sensational Liverpool International Music Festival (LIMF) returns for its fourth outing celebrating the city's musical pedigree, diversity and heritage on a global scale. Taking place from Thursday 21st – Sunday 24th July 2016, LIMF explores the theme of 'ReDefinition' with five commissioned projects and performances that are and have redefined music and popular culture. These include a curated live show by BBC 6 Music's Gilles Peterson called 'From The Soul'; a celebration of Liverpool's counter-culture over the last 40 years with '76-16: From Eric's To Evol'; and 'House Nation' where renowned Liverpool-based DJ and Producer Yousef will explore what defines house music in four international cities. 

LIMF Summer Jam returns with a three-day FREE outdoor music celebration featuring its best line-up to date including Sigma, The Wombats, Lianne La Havas, Kwabs, Netsky, Ms Dynamite, Maverick Sabre, a very special Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Friday evening performance and much more. The recent national award winning LIMF Academy stage will return to showcase tomorrow's stars, which alongside the 'its Liverpool' stage which showcases past, present and future homegrown talents, provides another reason why Liverpool has received the prestigious UNESCO City Of Music status in 2016. For the latest LIMF programme and to buy tickets for the LIMF Presents series please visit the LIMF website with more to be announced soon.

Liverpool is recognised as a UNESCO City of Music in 2016, shining a spotlight on the city's pioneering approach to its ever-evolving music culture. Combining this with the city's rich music heritage, Liverpool International Music Festival has become the current voice of this global music city with an experimental but accessible programme for all.

LIMF 2016 is made up of LIMF PresentsLIMF Academy and Europe's largest free music event, LIMF Summer Jam. Last year it attracted around 160,000 music lovers, cementing Liverpool's reputation as a must-visit destination, with this year’s earlier July date ensuring it will be the perfect start to the summer celebrations.

LIMF SUMMER JAM: Friday 22nd, Saturday 23rd, Sunday 24th July – Sefton Park – FREE
LIMF Summer Jam has fast become the leading family festival of its kind, completely free to enjoy and welcoming to all. Taking place at Sefton Park it will mark the start of the summer and the culmination of a spectacular series of events as part of Liverpool International Music Festival. Friday's opening night will be see the spectacular Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra perform a set which includes 'Music City: Reimagined', which will showcase many of the defining songs that came from the city of Liverpool and impacted the world. 

Chart topping dance duo Sigma, responsible for hits such as 'Nobody To Love' and 'Changing' are confirmed to headline on Saturday evening, with Liverpool's very own quirk-pop legends The Wombatsheadlining the following day. Singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas will bring her own inimitable mellow groove to the proceedings whilst Belgian drum 'n' bass pioneer Netsky will have the Sefton Park revellers dancing to his contagious beats. Bringing an urban vibe to the LIMF Summer Jam bill will be trailblazersKwabsMs Dynamite and Maverick Sabre, with RnB up and comer Shakka and BBC 1Xtra's 'Hot For 2016' nominee Samm Henshaw also lined up to play. Local heroes John Power and Dave McCabe and the Ramifications will be performing, as well as Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band and China Crisis. 

LIMF Summer Jam’s monumental music offering will be available for all to see for free, making it one of Europe’s biggest free outdoor events and an unmissable date in the diary for all.

LIMF Presents…'ReDefintion' 
The LIMF Presents series is a showcase of artists, music and projects that have and are redefining music and culture. The commissions projects and performances will taking place during LIMF 2016 and include:

From the Soul (LIVE) – Thursday 21st July – 1900 – 22.00 – Music Room – Royal Philharmonic Hall – £26.40 (incl. booking fee)
Curated by 6 Music’s Gilles Peterson, LIMF explores the redefining sounds of British soul music over the past 30 years. The event will feature a special house band collaborating with some of the most important names in British Soul. The live event will be followed by an exclusive DJ led after party hosted and featuring sets by Gilles Peterson and Thris Tian (Boiler Room / NTS), which will bring 3 decades of Soul to the dance floor. Line up to be announced soon.

From the Soul (After Party)  Thursday 21st July – 2200 – 0100 – Buyers Club – Early Bird £13.20 (incl. booking fee), £19.80 thereafter.
Line up to be announced soon.
 
House Nation in association with Circus  – Friday 22nd July – 1700 – 0000 – Sefton Park Palm House – £26.40 (inc. booking fee)
House music is truly a global phenomenon. In key cities around the world various dynamic producers are trailblazing a more progressive sound – redefining what you consider House Music to be. LIMF travels to three international music cities with Liverpool-based DJ and Producer Yousef as he immerses himself in those different scenes – returning home to make four records that reflect the sounds of those different cities and his hometown of Liverpool. The process will be documented, with both the music and shorts being released. The project will culminate in a special live show, in association with CIRCUS, at LIMF 2016. Line up to be announced soon.

House Nation (After Party) – Friday 22nd July – 0100 – 0400 – 24 Kitchen Street – Early Bird £13.20 (incl. booking fee), £19.80 thereafter
Line up to be announced soon.

76-16: From Eric's To Evol (a celebration of Liverpool music's counter-culture) – Saturday 23rd July – 1930 – 2300 – Liverpool Guild of Students – Early Bird till 1st March £19.80 (inc. booking fee), £26.40 thereafter
For the last 40 years the punk-indie attitude has been prevalent in Liverpool and has led to the creation of some of the most influential cultural movements the city has ever seen. These are movements that have connected not just with the people of Liverpool but with the world. LIMF showcases those key venues, artists and scenes. This is the inter-generational story of Liverpool’s underground music scene and how it has redefined itself in terms of music, fashion and popular culture over 40 years! Line up to be announced soon.

Music City: Reimagined – Friday 22nd July – 18.30 – 21.30 – Sefton Park – FREE
In 2015 LIMF focused on the influencing sounds that entered this City, this year LIMF showcases the defining songs that came from our city and impacted the world. The evening will see Liverpool’s no1 playlist performed by the spectacular Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Roots, Rock, Reggae – Saturday 23rd August – 15.00 – 15.30 – Sefton Park – FREE
It has been over 50 years since Millie Small reached number 1 in the UK with "My Boy Lollipop", and introduced Reggae to the British mainstream. Subsequently that first generation of settlers and their offspring carved out their own brand of reggae here in the UK and redefined the global image of the genre as a whole. From the birth of Lovers Rock, to the driving sound of roots reggae and the interpretation of vocal reggae, the British reggae sound added a considerable amount to the music scene. This project would see award winning BBC Radio DJ Seani B (himself a Grammy nominated Reggae producer) curate a collaboration between a host of British reggae artists. Line up to be announced soon.

Basement Jaxx, Labrinth and more set for Liverpool International Music Festival

Liverpool has a long and rich musical heritage. From Merseybeat to the famous Cavern Club, to Billy Fury and undoubtedly their most successful export, The Beatles, the city’s heart certainly beats to a tune. Liverpool International Music Festival has become the current voice of the global music city, shining a spotlight on its musical pedigree with an experimental but accessible programme like no other in 2015. 

Consisting of CommissionsPartnerships and the grand finale, LIMF Summer Jam, LIMF 2015 takes place in several iconic Liverpool venues, attracting thousands of music lovers and making it a must-visit destination this summer.

LIMF SUMMER JAM
Saturday 29th, Sunday 30th & Monday 31st August – Sefton Park – FREE
LIMF Summer Jam, a free outdoor music event on Sefton Park, marks the end of Liverpool International Music Festival and the end of summer. Kicking off Saturday proceedings is veteran dance duo Basement Jaxx, responsible for hits such as ‘Romeo’ and ‘Where’s Your Head At?’, supported by Garage legends Artful Dodger. Sunday takes an urban pop flavour as the multi-talented singer, songwriter and producer Labrinth takes to the stage along with Queen of Dubstep Katy B. Joining them is the of the moment chart topper dance music vocalist and now solo artist Becky Hill, plus producer Naughty Boy who has been responsible for hits with Emeli Sandé, Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran.

The itsliverpool stage will celebrate local talent in the form of 1970’s soul group The Real Thing, up-and-coming Scouse Louis Berry, plus acts from LIMF’s very own music academy. The three-day festival will also see other phenomenal Liverpool legends taking to LIMF's main stage including, Echo and the Bunnymen performing live with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in their 175th Anniversary year, in what will be a truly unforgettable collaboration. Unique British soul-singer Laura Mvula will also play along with lady-of-the-moment Rae Morris and fellow North-Westerner, Bipolar Sunshine. Representing the city are bands Space and Hooton Tennis Club, the former an indie rock band that came to prominence in the 90’s with hits such as ‘Female of the Species’, and the latter a hot one-to-watch in 2015. 

Summer Jam’s monumental music offering will be available for all to see for free, making it one of Europe’s biggest free outdoor events and an unmissable date in the diary.

THE COMMISSIONS: 'Music Migrations'
Routes Jukebox – Friday 28th August – The Epstein Theatre – £10 + Fees
Grammy winning producer Steve Levine and BBC Radio 2's Janice Long along with esteemed video documenter Mark McNulty, retrace the key influencing records that came to Liverpool from the U.S. and beyond via the air and the sea in the 1950’s. The documentary and live event will tell the definitive story about the cultural impact of music from the Americas and the resulting tide of influence from Liverpool bands have had on the world of music. 

The Revolution Will Be Live: A Tribute to Gil Scott Heron – Thursday 27th August – St George’s Hall – Tickets TBC
An event in tribute to the chart topping revolutionary artist, poet and civil rights activist, Gil Scott Heron. Featuring veteran rapper, movie star and civil rights activist Yasiin Bey a.k.a Mos Def, plus legendary UK Reggae bandAswad, local chart toppers The Christians, poet and protégé of Gil’s Malik & the O.G's plus Sophia Ben-Yousef and much more. Gil’s son Rumal Rackley and non-other than Ndaba Mandela, grandson of the late great Nelson Mandela, will be guest of honours whilst a DJ set from BBC Radio 6’s Craig Charles completes an unforgettable night.

Liverpool, Next Stop New York! – Friday 28th, Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th August – The Palm House, Sefton Park – FREE
This series of events will explore the unique association between the city of Liverpool and Black American music, and its huge impact on the region and its people. A weekend of celebration in Sefton Park’s Palm House will feature a must-see headliner in the company of influential figures from Liverpool’s musical heritage – seminal DJsGreg WilsonLes Spaine, and long running Liverpool hip hop crew No Fakin’. This will be preceded by an exhibition in Liverpool city centre including and a party on the Friday night will be followed by a weekend of activity and exploration; featuring broadcasts, DJ sets, the Independent Record Label market (Monday), and interactive discussions and Q & A’s with key figures; including members of the Chants and The Real Thing,Bernie Connor, and original Cunard Yanks

Global Roots International Mixtape – Sunday 30th August – The Palm House – £5 + Fees
Exploring international electronic music from Lagos to LA via London, The Global Roots crew comes together to celebrate the sounds of the DJ's mixing it up around the world. Thris Tian & Blackfoot Phoenix of NTS/Boiler Room invite their selector, DJ & A+R friends from across the Globe to make the ultimate mix – created in a relay style. Some of the names involved in the project include Lena Wilikens – Comeme (Berlin);  Hannah Faith – Soulection (London); Clap! Clap! – Black Acre Record (Toscana); Ebbo Kraan -Rwina Records (Amsterdam) and many more. The project will culminate in a live event that will be broadcast on NTS. Full line-up to be revealed.