Festival frenzy has hit the North East this weekend, as Hardwick festival returned to County Durham. Phoebe Abruzzese reports from the grassy planes of Sedgefield.
The 2024 festival marks the fiesta's tenth anniversary and is expected to be the biggest yet, with thousands turning out to watch Snow Patrol, Becky Hill, and Richard Ashcroft.
Glorious weather once again blessed the North East on the opening evening of the festival.
Becky Hill followed in the footsteps of legendary artists, including the likes of Madness, The Specials, Noel Gallagher, Nile Rodgers and the Stereophonics, with her much-anticipated Friday headline set wowing audiences.
Armed with an arsenal of floor fillers Becky thrilled the Hardwick crowd with her chart-topping smash hits and incredible production.
Though the Saturday audience was on the more mature side - likely down to 90s Madchester rock-kings The Charlatans, and sad-dad indie headliners Snow Patrol - there were plenty of young faces in the crowd too, ready to party.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor's set, though perhaps slightly incongruous with the dad rock scheduled for later in the evening, was nevertheless well-attended, well-enjoyed, and well-danced to.
With the vim of a hockey-stick-wielding private schoolgirl, Sophie got the festival ground bouncing to her Read My Lips hits, as well as a raft of Kitchen Disco releases and popular covers.
The Charlatans followed Ellis-Bextor's set, showing that they can still rock with the best of them. Tim Burgess's bleach blond bob and sunglasses oozed cool as they belted out The Only One I Know, Weirdo, North Country Boy, and Toothache.
Despite a few forgotten lyrics, and cheeky revellers trying to vault onto the stage, Snow Patrol's stage-topping set was the night's highlight.
The Northern Irish band moved the audience with a string of melancholy rock love songs and emotive new singles.
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With their first album for six years set to be released in September, the band played some new tunes too, like their fresh song 'All'.
Snow Patrol's lead singer, County Down superstar Gary Lightbody, had the crowd swaying their phone torches to Run, and thousands got misty-eyed at Chasing Cars.
Sunday night is expected to be just as popular, with headliner Richard Ashcroft, Reverend and the Makers, Blossoms, and Jamie Webster.
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