The first weekend of August kickstarted with an exciting boom for Coventry’s music scene, as big names like The Libertines and Sigala took the stage at Coventry’s latest music Festival- Coombe Weekender. Situated outside of the immediate center, Coombe Abbey Park is a prime location for hosting huge events in Coventry, the vast lush green landscape makes the perfect venue to host the Park’s first music festival.
The first day showcased an impressive lineup; a concoction of genres ranging from indie to electronic music for fans of the mix. Good Cop Bad Cop- a new venture by Arctic Monkey’s drummer- Matt Helders and Milburn’s Vocalist- Joe Carnall was the first act to take the stage, the project birthed some smooth tracks like ‘Silk and Leather’ and ‘Taste the Danger’ which Joe Carnall performed with a hint of attractive, subdued energy.
In addition to the main stage the big top featured DJ sets throughout the day by big names including the likes of Faithless.
The local acts were set to open initially- with home grown talents including the likes of Candid and We Are Athens scheduled to perform. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties and despite tremendous efforts from the production team and site staff, they couldn’t make an appearance gutting their dedicated fan base who made an effort to come in early to catch their sets. Setbacks aside - the show must go on!
Blessing the scene of post-punk in England, the Futureheads have been back at it again since 2018. Their set witnessed some outstanding fan engagement with bops like ‘Meantime’ and ‘Hounds of Love’. They additionally announced the release of their first album in seven years and a tour at the end of the year to celebrate 15 years of their first album…Iconic!
A music festival is not complete without amazing street food and lots of body art. The Coombe gave you a variety ranging from Spud’s and Bro’s Poutine to Fundi Pizza and much, much more. Glitter bars like Make My Events Sparkle offered festival goers the opportunity to look dashing as they bounced to their favourite artists.
Reverend and the Makers send the crowd into a frenzy with UK chart toppers like- ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’ and ‘He Said He Loved Me’ delivering a power-packed set. Lead vocalist- Jon McClure, took the stage by storm with his animated, arresting stage presence.
Building up to Tom Grennan and the Libertines, Circa Waves took the stage performing fan favourites including ‘Times Won’t Change Me’, ‘T-Shirt Weather’ and ‘Wake Up’. The band is a phenom in the indie scene with a fresh sound, delivering one outstanding track after the other.
As the first day came to an end, Tom Grennan and The Libertines both closed with exceptional sets winding up the first phase of the festival in style.
Day 2 of Coombe Weekender brought families and young party-goers into the Park (with special thanks to the free shuttle bus running from the city center!). The day was set with pop artists such as X-Factor star, Fleur East, giving an energetic performance on stage. Followed by Kelis, giving the crowd smooth soulful melodies to dance along to.
The build up of the festival was entertained by hyped performances from talented DJs SIGALA and headliner, MK, who made the crowd erupt – even with flashes of sparklers on stage!
The Coombe Weekender, being the first large scale festival of its kind in Coombe Abby Park, with big names who attended, is one we won’t be forgetting any time soon!
written by Mehreen Yousaf
edited and photography by Esmé Spurling