HERE COME THE GIRLS

As the UK gets set to celebrate International Women’s Day, one of the North East’s top music festivals has revealed a star-studded female line-up for this summer.

Hardwick Festival – which has been extended this year and will run from Friday 18 August to Sunday 20 August – has unveiled an incredible selection of female artists who are set to perform across the weekend.

Top of the list is Freya Ridings, the singer songwriter and BRIT school graduate, who rose to acclaim with her hit Lost Without You and whose highly awaited new album Blood Orange is due to be released in May, will be taking to the main stage on Saturday. 

Also heading to Hardwick is Melanie C, one fifth of the Spice Girls, and a powerhouse in her own right as the female with the most songs at number one in UK ranking history.

The former Sporty Spice will also be taking to the main stage on Saturday, hot on the heels of a summer of live performances as far afield as Mexico City.

Elsewhere, at The Courtyard stage, UK house music favourite Sam Divine who started her career in the dance capital of Ibiza and is currently touring the US is set to get behind the decks on Sunday and mix some massive tunes.

While fans of electronic music can also look forward to top BBC Radio One DJ Arielle Free who will also be taking the stage at The Courtyard on Sunday. 

The Scottish broadcaster is currently DJing live while cycling for 50 hours across five cities in five days to raise funds for Red Nose Day on a 10-person bike adapted with DJ decks and a giant Red Nose.

They will be joined by DJs and Ibiza stalwarts Loéca – fresh from the iconic Mambo – and house DJ Clara da Costa along with Angel, who plays clubs across Europe.

Star of Celebrity Big Brother and X Factor winner, Megan McKenna, will appear on the main stage on Sunday, following previous festival appearances at the likes of Glastonbury.

The singer songwriter, who saw off big name competition to support Lionel Ritchie on tour, is playing live across the UK this summer, having left her previous record label to concentrate on her own country style sound.

Also making her Hardwick debut this summer on the main stage on Saturday is Tik Tok sensation turned music industry darling, Nieve Ella, who dropped her debut single Girlfriend in mid-2022 and has just released her first EP, Young & Naïve.

And bringing a little soul and Rand B to the Treehouse Arena stage on Saturday is North East-based singer songwriter Beth Macari, whose single Feel the Same is out now.

These new names are added to a constantly growing list of acts appearing at

Hardwick Festival, which will launch on  August 18with Hacienda Classical curated by Graeme Park and the Manchester Camerata Orchestra, as well as the Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club.

The Friday evening will also see performances in the Treehouse Arena by Smoove and Turrell and DJ Luke Una, one half of the legendary Unabombers, DJ.

A number of big name artists will take to the main stage on the Saturday including  The Kooks and The Vaccines, while award winners Scouting for Girls will appear at the Treehouse Arena Stage the same day , performing hits such as She’s So Lovely and Heartbeat, which have helped the band sell more than two million records.

Sunday 20 August will see the main stage filled with a number of big name performances, including Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Johnny Marr and The Cribs.

Tickets are on sale now with several packages available including weekend passes,single day tickets, glamping and camping. All prices are available at

www.hardwickfestival.co.uk