Kelburn Garden Party 2023: first acts announced
Kelburn Garden Party returns for its thirteenth outing with perhaps the festival's most diverse and inclusive lineup to date
While the number 13 might be unlucky for some, in some cultures it's actually a very positive thing and can be a sign of good fortune. For Kelburn Garden Party, the number 13 is significant this year as the festival is set to bring their thirteenth party to the iconic grounds of Kelburn Castle near Largs, famed for The Castle Graffiti Project.
Following on from the more inclusive and diverse lineup we saw from the 6000 capacity festival in 2022, the festival continues in the same vein with most of the headliners made up of women, non-binary and BIPOC artists. This year's headliners cover all manner of genre from hip-hop and electronica to funk, afrobeat, r'n'b, pop, folk, jazz, world music and more.
From the first wave of the lineup announcement, the Square Stage is set to host the likes of Dutch-New Zealand cosmic blues trio My Baby, Ghanaian vocalist Z.O.G. and two-times SAY Award-shortlisted nominee Kobi Onyame. The electronic-focused Landing Stage is set to welcome everyone from Radioactive Man and Rival Consoles to DJ Flight, Eclair Fifi, Lezzer Quest and SAY Award winner Auntie Flo. Meanwhile, the vibiest of stages, The Viewpoint, will host a melting pop of feel-good sounds, with live sets from the Rebecca Vasmant Ensemble, Werkha and Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange, plus DJ sets from the likes of Crazy P, Dar Disku and the inimitable Karen Nyame KG; often referred to as the “goddess of rhythm”, her sound covers everything from afrobeat and gqom to r’n’b and more.
Meanwhile, over on The Pyramid Stage, curated by us lot at The Skinny, you’ll find a whole host of exciting talent. Our headliners this year are our most eclectic yet, with two SAY Award nominees and one SAY Award winner topping the bill. Friday brings the breathtaking r’n’b and soul of Aberdeen’s AiiTee who’ll be accompanied by her full live band; Saturday will make way for the matter-of-fact lyricism of electro-post-punk siblings Comfort, while Sunday will see the stage go out with a bang as the mighty Sacred Paws help us see out the festival with their infectious brand of jangly guitars and afrobeat rhythms.
Elsewhere, we’re delighted to welcome Edinburgh-based rapper Psweatpants back to Kelburn, following a brief cameo with Nova last year. He’ll be joined on the Friday night by the talents of The Honey Farm’s Bee Asha and hip-hop harpist Queen of Harps. Saturday will bring the gorgeous tones of singer-songwriter Djana Gabrielle and the country-pop stylings of Hailey Beavis, alongside Game Boy duo King Wine, and a trio of absolute pop queens in KLEO, SHEARS and AMUNDA, who, if you cast your mind back, headlined our stage back in 2019 with Bossy Love. Joining Sacred Paws on the Sunday will be the beat poetry of Acolyte, the dripping-in-sunshine pop grooves of NANI and the coldwave synths of Casual Worker, with a few more treats still to be announced.
Kelburn Garden Party takes place at Kelburn Castle, nr Largs, 30 Jun-3 Jul
For more information on this year's festival and tickets, head to kelburngardenparty.com