Bristol Beacon Presents:

Bristol Beacon presents music icons Nile Rodgers & CHIC and indie legends Belle & Sebastian at Bristol’s beautiful harbourside this summer 

Music legends, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, will be appearing for two consecutive nights on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 Jul at The Amphitheatre, Bristol Harbourside, with indie-pop icons Belle and Sebastian? rounding off the three-day musical event, presented by Bristol Beacon, on Friday 15 July 2022. 

Since co-founding CHIC in 1976, Rodgers has built an unrivalled back catalogue of hits and reshaped the music scene with smash hits like ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’, ‘Good Times’ and ‘Le Freak’. Rodgers’ collaborations with fellow boundary-breakers David Bowie, Diana Ross and Madonna have sold over half a billion albums worldwide. In more recent times his work with Daft Punk, Sigala, Avicii, Disclosure, Sam Smith and others demonstrates Rodgers’ ability to transcend all styles of music, across every generation.  

Renowned the world over for electric outdoor performances at festivals like Glastonbury and Coachella, Nile Rodgers and CHIC are quite simply the ultimate party band. As their timeless hits sound out across Bristol Harbourside this summer, alongside the rhythm of Rodgers’ ‘Hitmaker’ guitar, this will go down as one of Bristol’s most memorable summer parties. 

2022 marks 26 years since Belle and Sebastian released their debut album Tigermilk sparking a cult-like following around the world. They also returned earlier this month with a brand new album ‘A Bit of Previous’, released on 6 May. Led by Stuart Murdoch, Glasgow’s Belle and Sebastian have provided the soundtrack for love-struck teens and yearning adults for over a quarter of a century. Creating beautiful, sensitive work that harnesses the power of 60s-nodding pop melodies and a whimsical charm, the band’s back catalogue has a song for every mood. The seven-piece band will be joined by very special guests, indie electronic quartet, Django Django for a high energy evening worthy of the spectacular backdrop of Bristol’s harbour. Specials guests Django Django will also be celebrating a new album - a 10-year re-release of their self-titled debut, which is out at the end of May.  

Having played to a sold-out crowd at Bristol Beacon in 2015, this very special Harbourside gig marks Belle and Sebastian’s triumphant return to Bristol and their biggest show in the city to date. Their third album, 2018’s Marble Skies was met with critical acclaim, blending genres into a unique sound that has drawn excitement from all over the world.  

These outdoor gigs form part of the Bristol Beacon Presents programme which sees the city’s foremost concert venue programming concerts across Bristol in the city’s independent and unique venues while the venue undergoes its multi-million-pound transformation.  

This will be the fifth year Bristol Beacon has programmed at Bristol’s Harbourside Amphitheatre, following sell-out performances from Goldie and the Heritage Orchestra in 2015, Outlook Orchestra in 2017, Jimmy Cliff and Grandmaster Flash in 2018, and concerts from New Order and The Specials in 2019. 

Todd Wills, Artistic Director at Bristol Beacon said of the shows: “The response to Nile Rodgers & CHIC and Belle and Sebastian coming to Bristol has been incredible. We have had to reschedule the shows twice due to the pandemic so we are genuinely excited to finally have the opportunity to host this fantastic line up in July. They are truly great live acts and we can’t wait to spend three nights with them for some of the most memorable Harbourside shows Bristol Beacon has brought to the city so far.” 

Tickets are on sale now:  

https://bristolbeacon.org/whats-on/nile-rodgers-chic/ 

https://bristolbeacon.org/whats-on/belle-sebastian/ 

ENDS 

Editor’s Contacts: 

? 

Plaster Creative Communications  

T: 0117 9530320, corinna@weareplaster.com, kellie@weareplaster.com 

Editors Notes: 

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About Bristol Beacon 

Bristol Beacon is a music charity, renowned venue and award-winning music education hub, with a city-wide programme of live music, creative learning opportunities and community engagement. 

First opened in 1867 as Colston Hall, the organisation announced its new name in 2020 and is currently mid-way through a major multi-million-pound transformation of its performance spaces, due to reopen in 2023. 

Bristol Beacon has established a city-wide live music programme, working with over 35 partner venues, and as the city’s music education hub, Bristol Beacon continues to engage with 30,000 young people from all backgrounds and abilities across 130 schools in the city every year. 

Once completed, Bristol Beacon will deliver around 800 events a year, including initiatives dedicated to championing Bristol-based artists. 

Bristol Beacon is also expected to become the first concert venue in the UK to become carbon neutral by 2030 – playing an important role in Bristol’s One City Plan, with its commitment to create a fair, healthy and sustainable city by 2050.