Festival No. 6 Announce Arts & Culture Lineup Additions

Wales' favourite festival adds even more to an already extensive arts and culture programme.

Mike Warburton

Date published: 30th May 2013

Photograph: A Ballerina during New Order's 2012 appearance at Festival No. 6 

Much has been said about the staggering music lineup at this year's Festival No. 6. The beautiful Portmeirion festival is set to star bands such as Manic Street Preachers, Chic with Nile Rodgers, James Blake, Lianne La Havas, Everything Everything, I Am Kloot, Tricky, Daughter and AlunaGeorge to name just a few. As eclectic as it is impressive, the lineup at Festival No.6 smacks of careful consideration and is as intelligent and pleasing a lineup as you’re likely to come across this summer.

Festival No.6 don’t just rely on their huge headline musicians though. The festival with a twist also takes care of your cerebral needs, boasting one of the largest arts and culture lineups of the entire season.

Some of the new additions to that lineup include one of Britains best loved poets and performers John Cooper Clarke, Ramy Essam, and Dorian Lynskey, all discussing the impact of the protest song.

The wonderful Brythoniaid Male Voice Choir will be making a triumphant return to Festival No. 6. Certianly one of the stars of last year’s festival, their cover of New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ was a Youtube sensation and shown on BBC Newsnight and they are already rehearsing a few special cover versions for 2013.

Watch: Brythoniaid Male Voice Choir - Blue Monday

Warp Films and Shane Meadows will also be screening Made of Stone and the acclaimed Joe Duddell has been appointed Composer in Residence and will be working with some of the great musicians at No.6 to create a series of unique, bespoke performances over the weekend.

Booker Prize winner DBC Pierre will be reading from Petit Mal, his debut collection of short fiction, philosophical vignettes and aphoristic interludes, published the week before No.6.

Acclaimed author and Culture Show presenter Paul Morley will discuss notions of Northern identity, while the legendary producer Andrew Weatherall will be collaborating live with author Michael Smith.

Literary Death Match will be presenting a special Portmeirion Literary Death Match, pitting leading authors against each other, before a celebrity judging panel. The feisty Vagenda, who have been described as ‘the next Germaine Greers’ will also be speaking at the festival.

Expect appearances from Award-winning bestselling authors such as Caitlin Moran, Jan Morris and John Niven, Joe Dunthorne, Matt Haig, Glen Duncan, David Whitehouse and the fantastic 90-year-old World War II veteran Harry Leslie Smith.

Mark Thomas, Justin Moorhouse and Wes Zaharuk lead the comedy line-up, with Paul McCaffery, James Acaster, Romesh Ranganathan, Charlie Baker, Steve Royle, Danny McLoughlin and Dan Nightingale.

Other new additions will be the No.6 Short Film Cinema, Salon No.6, and Museum No.6. Don’t Tell Stories trails will be bringing the magical Gwlythe Wood to life and there will also be a series of pop-up acoustic performances and woodland raves throughout the weekend.

The acts will perform across the entire picturesque festival site, from the historic town hall to the Colonnade gardens, to the Estuary Stage and the promenade along the river, against a backdrop of neo-classical architecture, sandy beaches and palm trees.

With yet more to be announced, this edition of Festival No.6 is already shaping up to comfortably top last year’s incredible efforts. We can’t wait to hear what else the jewel in Wales’ festival crown has to offer.

Get your tickets to Festival No. 6 through Skiddle.

Tickets are no longer available for this event

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