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.
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
2024
The 2024 festival took place from 5th to the 7th July. In February 2024, it was announced that the headliners were Richard Ashcroft, Paloma Faith and Beverly Knight. Other notable performers were Sam Ryder, and multiple acts including Standard Procedure and Holy Goof who performed on the Next Stage as part of the DnB takeover.
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]
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]
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
Electric Main Stage on Friday 3 July 2009
The 2009 Godiva Festival took place from Friday 3 July to Sunday 5 July, headlined by Scottish alternative band Idlewild.
A stage at the Godiva Festival 2007The Electric Stage at the Godiva Festival 2007Superficial mud at the Godiva Festival 2007Kristy Gallacher performing on the Market Stage at the Godiva Festival 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.
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.
