Irvine Welsh and More Added To Latitude Festival

The multi-award-winning Latitude Festival is poised to return to the beautiful Henham Park in Suffolk from July 25th to 28th, 2024. Headliners Duran Duran, Kasabian, Keane, London Grammar, Sara Pascoe, Jo Brand and Judi Love spearhead an eclectic lineup fusing music with the arts. Tickets are on sale now. Championing creativity, diversity, and artistic brilliance, Latitude Festival adds yet more names across the arts bill plus late-night revelry.

CONVERSATIONS, PODCASTS & POETRY

This year, Latitude presents a vibrant lineup of podcasts, conversations, and ideas, showcasing diverse voices and celebrating human experiences. Renowned Scottish author Irvine Welsh returns, presenting his latest novel, "Resolution." This third instalment in the #1 Sunday Times bestselling crime series follows maverick investigator Ray Lennox, who moves from Edinburgh to Brighton to escape his past. However, an encounter with the enigmatic Mathew Cardingworth forces Lennox to confront long-buried memories and a haunting mystery involving foster care boys. Welsh is famed for his debut novel "Trainspotting," which sold over a million copies and became an iconic film. He has authored thirteen more novels, including the bestseller "Dead Men's Trousers," and numerous plays and screenplays. Irvine is also hitting the decks for an exclusive late-night DJ set.

Irvine Welsh said, "I'm excited to return to Latitude this year; the audiences here are as vibrant and passionate as the performers. Latitude is one of those festivals where you get a real sense of artistic freedom. A raw, unfiltered energy every appearance exciting. Whether performing in a tent or exploring the grounds, you're surrounded by creativity and enthusiasm."

The Poetry Exchange explores the idea of poems as friends, inviting people from all walks of life to share how particular poems have touched their lives. Their first anthology, Poems As Friends: The Poetry Exchange 10th Anniversary Anthology, will be published by Quercus Editions in May 2024, featuring a selection of poems chosen by readers, each accompanied by personal stories of connection.

Salena Godden will read from her latest collection, Love, Grief and Fury. Godden, a veteran of the UK poetry scene, presents love poems for people and the planet, alongside powerful pieces of grief and fiery activism. Anoushka Warden, acclaimed writer for stage and screen, will also discuss her acclaimed debut novel I'm F*cking Amazing, a candid exploration of modern relationships and self-discovery.

Girls On Film, the acclaimed film review podcast from a female perspective hosted by film critic and broadcaster Anna Smith and produced by co-founder Hedda Archbold at HLA Agency, will feature Rachel Ramsay live from Latitude. Rachel, known for her co-directorial debut in the feature documentary Copa 71, which premiered as the opening doc at TIFF 2023 and screened at BFI LFF, AFI, and IDFA, has an impressive background in producing theatrically-released documentaries like End of the Storm (2020) and Sachin: A Billion Dreams (2017).

"Mixed Up," a podcast by Nicole Ocran and Emma Slade Edmondson, offers unfiltered perspectives on mixed-race identity, covering topics from interracial relationships to media portrayals, while Ruth Ivo's novel Performance paints a visceral portrait of London's nightlife, capturing the excesses and decadence of the city's club scene. Kieran Yates, a journalist, broadcaster, and author, writes regularly on youth culture, housing, immigration, and politics for publications including the Guardian, the Independent, and VICE also joins the bill in conversation with DJ, writer and social activist Sarah Lamptey.

Snippets from Jan Etherington's much-loved, award-winning Radio 4 comedy drama, Conversations from a Long Marriage, made famous by Roger Allam and Joanna Lumley, will be read by Helen Atkinson-Wood and Angus Deayton. Conversations from a Long Marriage won the Voice of the Listener & Viewer Award for Best Radio Comedy in 2020 and was nominated for a Writers' Guild Award in 2022 and a British Comedy Guide award in 2023.

Elaine Kasket, a psychologist, speaker, writer, and expert on the modern challenges and opportunities brought about by technology, talks about her new book, Reboot: Reclaiming Your Life in a Tech-Obsessed World.

Women in Revolt! explores art, activism, and the women's movement in the UK during the 1970s and 80s, featuring Tate exhibition curator Linsey Young as she discusses radical ideas and rebellious methods that changed British culture and forged a path for future generations.

Doc Brown presents Sound Like, a unique improvisational panel show based around rhyme and rap. Featuring wordsmith hosts Shuffle T, Cruger, Bagnall, and Bleez, this hilarious quiz will put a range of special guests from the worlds of music and comedy on the spot to create intricate rhymes against tight time pressures and the other panellists' wits.

In a festival first, The Cosmic Shambles Network will present "Robin Ince's Book Corner," a captivating literary area featuring an eclectic lineup of authors and thinkers. Hosted by the inimitable Robin Ince, this gathering will include appearances by the witty and insightful classicist Natalie Haynes, renowned astronomer Chris Lintott, soulful singer-songwriter Charlotte Carpenter, and versatile musician Jakko Jakszyk. Also gracing the book corner are poet and author Salena Godden, passionate entomologist Jess French, marine biologist and museum curator Miranda Lowe, acclaimed psychologist Claudia Hammond, and celebrated Nigerian novelist Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. Together, they will explore a diverse range of topics, from science and literature to music and mental health, promising an enriching and thought-provoking experience for all attendees.

COMEDY

Latitude Festival's 2024 comedy lineup just got even bigger with the addition of several stellar acts. Joining the bill are the legendary The Comedy Store Players, whose improvisational prowess has been a West End staple for nearly 40 years, promising audiences a night of unpredictable, side-splitting fun. Priya Hall, known for her "hilariously oversharing" style, will captivate with her warm and interactive performances, while Derek Mitchell, famed for his online sketches and role in Ted Lasso, brings his unique perspective on cultural absurdities. Additionally, Matt Bragg, with his unique, low-energy, deadpan style, fresh from theatres and arenas supporting the likes of Ricky Gervais, John Bishop, Suzi Ruffell, and Jason Manford, will perform the best bits from his seven years on the comedy circuit. Australian comedian Tom Ballard, known for his poignant, personal, and political comedy, also brings his newest show "Good Point Well Made" to the festival.

Latitude's Late Night Comedy lineup is also set to sizzle this summer with an array of critically acclaimed acts. The award-winning poof prince of puppets, Lachlan Werner, brings his horrifyingly hilarious comedy after his debut show "Voices Of Evil, "sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and London's Soho Theatre. Additionally, the unique musical comedy "Songs with my Father?" featuring Mark Silcox and Luke McQueen, promises a mix of humour and heart. The cult classic "The Late Nite PowerPoint Comedy Showcase" is coming to Latitude after sell-out seasons across New Zealand and Australia and residencies at Comedy Republic. Featuring six comedians and hosted by Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh, this late-night showcase puts the 'show' back into show-and-tell with more slides than Wet'n'Wild

DANCE AND ACROSS THE ARTS

Latitude's stunning Waterfront Stage is globally renowned for showcasing the best talent in dance productions and companies. This year marks the continuation of a powerful partnership with DanceEast, presenting an eclectic programme of world-class dance in all its forms. In addition to previously announced shows, DanceEast will also present Birds of the Four Seasons, a dance theatre production from award-winning hip-hop movement architects BirdGang Ltd. Inspired by the renowned Japanese painter KanĹŤ Motonobu's work of a similar name, it explores the profound relationship between BirdGang founder Simeon Qsyea and his father, Roosevelt Richard. DanceEast also presents Black Victorians, a powerful and moving dance performance by Artistic Director and Choreographer Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE that is inspired by nineteenth-century studio photographs of black men, women, and children. Exploring a complex but often forgotten black presence in pre-Windrush Britain, this performance calls attention to previously hidden figures and challenges historical and contemporary perceptions.

BAFTA nominee Yolanda Mercy also performs "Failure Project" a comedy-drama about Ade, a successful writer whose seemingly perfect life starts to unravel. With a stash of five-star reviews Dancefloor Conversion Therapy will land at Latitude and take audiences on "a sexy romp" that is "unmissably, unmistakeably brilliant." Join dance floor anthropologist, Aunty Jonny for an edifying lecture on the history of radical music, sexed-up dance floors and the people your mother warned you about.

The S.H.I.T Club (Supporting Husbands in Trauma) which premiered at INK Festival also comes to Latitude. Created by writer Jan Etherington, it features three women, each of whom has a husband going through a serious health crisis, who meet, talk, cry, laugh and support each other.

Jan Etherington says: 'Latitude is my favourite festival - and right on my doorstep, so I'm here every year. This time, I'm sharing my two radio comedies with the fabulous festival audience. I'm thrilled!"

During the festival, The Rogue Shanty Buoys are set to make waves at Latitude's The Clearing with their bold and original take on sea shanties. Based in rural Suffolk, this professional folk group has garnered acclaim for their fresh and dynamic approach to folk music, performing traditional sea shanties and unique "shantyfied" covers of '90s classics.

And Zoie's ever-popular forest choir also returns.

AFTER DARK

Latitude continues to electrify after dark with the UK's best club nights taking centre stage as Latitude's comedy stage transforms each night till the early hours. Following the show, it's time to join Aunty Jonny for the built-in Afterparty Dancefloor Conversion Therapy. In their early 20s, Jonny helped start a church, went to Bible College and was preaching the Gospel in front of thousands of people, but since has become one of Australia's most loved DJs, dance floor icons, queer party promoters and a disciple of Joy. -

See cabaret at its finest from The Cocoa Butter Club, who'll start the festival weekend off by serving a spirited soiree celebrating performers of colour, featuring burlesque, live music, drag, voguing, hula hooping and much much more. The Yard, who are committed to showcasing work that dives into the wild, weird and wonderful parts of our past, present and future presents the ultimate after-parties Knickerbocker and Popola.

Massaoke returns with the world's biggest mass sing-along party, featuring a live band - Rockstar Weekend - playing hairbrush anthems from across the decades. Guilty Pleasures invites attendees to throw their hands in the air and let pop music course through their veins, while Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! ABBA After Midnight is all about ABBA. Club de Fromage, with its zany characters, huge sing-alongs, audience interaction, and non-stop dancing also returns.

Disco Shed is back, bringing with them a troupe of their best DJs to keep your feet stomping all night long with their massive beats. Latitude's beloved Shack will also return to keep party-goers dancing until the early hours amongst the Faraway Forest with their audio-visual bass-thumping extravaganza. With an eclectic mix of performances that push boundaries and defy expectations, Latitude Festival promises an unforgettable celebration of music and the arts, where creativity knows no bounds.

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