UK’s Let’s Rock festival to make SA debut in 2025

24 Oct 2024 - 11:33

Published under the Creative Commons Licence

UK’s Let’s Rock festival will make its debut in South Africa in 2025. Known for its outstanding line-ups and nostalgic 1980s vibes, the event will kick off at Marks Park, Emmarentia, in Johannesburg on 15 February, followed by a show at the Green Point A Track in Cape Town on 16 February.

Tom Bailey. Photo: Instagram

Confirmed artists include Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey, Midge Ure, Steve Louw’s Big Sky, and many more. In addition to the international headliners, South African musicians will take the stage at Let’s Rock, bringing local flavour to the retro celebration. They are Just Jinjer, PJ Powers, Cindy Alter (from Clout), John Ellis (from Tree63), James Stewart (from The Usual), Brent Harris and Thee Jam.

Let’s Rock has been leading the retro festival scene since its inception in 2009, and it is renowned for delivering an unbeatable family-friendly atmosphere. With a focus on celebrating the best of 1980s music, the festival promises to transport audiences back to the golden era of synth-pop, rock, and new wave, while offering something for every generation to enjoy. Fans can expect to hear classic tracks that still resonate today, bringing the magic of the UK’s retro festival scene to South African shores.

For nearly three decades, fans of the Thompson Twins have been eager to see more live performances from one of the most beloved bands of the 1980s. Now, lead vocalist Tom Bailey, backed by a new band, will be performing the band’s biggest hits, including chart-toppers like ‘Hold Me Now,’ ‘Doctor Doctor’, ‘You Take Me Up’, and ‘Love On Your Side’. These hits formed the soundtrack for many during the mid-1980s and continue to evoke a sense of nostalgia for fans around the world.

Bailey, meanwhile, famously performed ‘Hold Me Now’ at the 1985 Live Aid concert in Philadelphia, where he also took the stage alongside Madonna and Nile Rodgers for a rendition of the Beatles’ ‘Revolution’. Bailey’s new band includes an all-female line-up featuring Charlotte Raven on vocals and keyboards, Vicky Warwick on bass, vocals, and keyboards, and Paulina Szczepaniak on electronic drums.

An award-winning and platinum-selling artist, Midge Ure is no stranger to success. By the time his single ‘If I Was’ hit No 1 in 1985, Ure had already enjoyed a remarkable career spanning bands like Thin Lizzy, Visage, and the legendary Ultravox. He is also one of the masterminds behind Band Aid, having co-written and produced the global hit ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, which remains one of the world’s most recognisable songs.

Tickets to both shows are available from 25 October here.