Get Together will be making it a Sheffield hat-trick next month, returning for their highly anticipated third edition held across various Kelham Island venues.
The popular festival, previously held at Sheffield University’s Students’ Union, has earned a reputation as one of the best local events for discovering original and independent music, art, food and drink, with this year’s edition taking place on Saturday 20th May promising to be bolder and braver than ever before.
Get Together announced the move to Kelham Island last year, meaning their jam packed programme will be taking over the area’s various warehouses, breweries and unconventional spaces by teaming up with the best local independent businesses.
Festival organiser Kieran Crosby said of the move: “The original concept for Get Together was planned to happen in Kelham, but we had to rethink when the world turned upside down in 2020. Since then, there’s been an explosion of new independent businesses opening and giving us the opportunity to make the festival bigger and more exciting than ever before. We keep our audience in mind with every decision we make, and we know they’ll love all of the new elements.”
WHO’S PLAYING?
On the music side of things, a characteristically genre-spanning lineup has been announced, headed up by none other than beloved indie darlings Friendly Fires, who’ll be heading to the main stage in Peddler Warehouse to celebrate 15 years of their self-titled debut album which spawned nostalgic hits like ‘Jump in The Pool’, ‘Paris’ and ‘Skeleton Boy’, alongside plenty more bangers from the band’s back catalogue.
They will be joined by 40+ other artists, including Dublin’s CMAT. The global pop star has gained an adoring and loyal fanbase since the release of her first album If My Wife New I’d Be Dead. CMAT is set to follow on from the likes of Self Esteem and Confidence Man and bring her giant pop songs, sang through country tinted sunglasses, to the Get Together main stage.
Also joining the line-up is 6 Music favourite, Hamish Hawk. Having sold out tours across the UK and critical acclaim for his 2021 debut album Heavy Elevator, the Leith singer is back with ‘Angel Numbers’, which was released to great acclaim earlier this year.
Panic Shack
Kieran said of this year’s lineup choices: “The support and love from our audiences over past two festivals has been amazing, and we wanted to make sure the 2023 Get Together is the best yet.
“I’m so excited by the new artists that are playing and urge everyone to check out our playlist to discover something that will blow their mind. Partnering with some of Sheffield’s best independent venues, traders and breweries has meant that there’s an unbelievable number of creative plans in the process. People won’t be disappointed!”
The festival has gained a reputation for being a home for brand new music, and this year sees the likes of Panic Shack, Antony Szmierek, THE GOA EXPRESS and Prima Queen take to one of the 10 stages of music spread across the event.
There are plenty of familiar names within the line-up too. After reaching unfathomable levels of success with nu-rave originators Klaxons, James Righton morphed into a one-man pop sensation Shock Machine, before releasing two solo records under his own name on Soulwax’s label DEEWEE. The latest, ‘Jim, I’m Still Here’ features singles like ‘Release Party’ and guest vocals from ABBA’s Benny Andersson.
Naturally, you’ll also find a few Sheff favourites on the billing. Alt-pop purveyor Luxury Goods, Sheffield-Welsh pysch-rock quartet Sister Wives and queer-led DIY music collective Gut Level will all be performing on the day.
Full line-up deets can be found here.
Raw Silk
ON A LATE’UN?
Lovely stuff: the new festival site now allows Get Together to go late into the night. Peckham DJ duo Raw Silk return to the festival after joining last year’s headliners Confidence Man on their much talked about European Tour. Grace and Steph made a name for themselves after playing records they loved from the Melbourne dance scene where they met. They’ll be joined by Queer House Party, a collective that have been at the centre of grassroots, radical queer art since their kitchen live streams in 2020. Other late night party vibes will be provided by Big Wett, Heavenly Jukebox and Pete Fowler B2B with Ben Rymer.
EATING AND SUPPING
Beyond music, the festival continues to bring together the very best in independent food and drink. Last year, Kelham Island Brewery, one of Sheffield’s oldest beer producers, closed its doors. But a collective of local supporters have now brought it back to life (huzzah!) and Get Together will be proudly stocking its most famous beer – Pale Rider. Not only that, but they will be teaming up with Purity Brewing Co, and some of the best breweries across the country to run ‘The Kelham Beer Mile’ at the festival, with tap takeovers from the likes of Verdant, Deya, Stone Brewing, Three Legs and more.
V|OR|V: Top babbin’
When it’s not the main stage of Get Together, Peddler Warehouse is home to one of the original street food markets. They will be curating a selection of their favourite food traders at the Peddler Food Village to keep everyone going during the festival; so you can expect tasty scran from the likes of Colombo Street Food, Get Wurst, Lick Dairy-Free Ice Cream, New Yorkshire Pizza, Mormor and The Gravy Train.
If that isn’t enough to tantalise the tastebuds, much-loved vegan and veggie restaurant V or V will be hosting a special pop-up kitchen at Alder Bar where you’ll be treated to some plant-based delights. While over at Heist Brewery, Slap & Pickle will be complementing a frankly mouthwatering craft beer offering with some of the finest burgers you’ll find in Sheff.
ART & SHOPPING
In-between sets and filling up on food and drink, you’ll be able to explore this year’s art strand which showcase Sheffield-born, London-based artist Corbin Shaw in residence, hosting an exhibition and discussing his work.
Corbin Shaw
Using his South Yorkshire upbringing as inspiration, Corbin investigates masculinity and how that was defined to him growing up, often seeking to break stigmas and stereotypes through his re-imagination of masculine ‘icons’ and objects. The artist pays homage to the people and places that have shaped his northern identity – the pub, football pitches and boxing gyms.
Corbin’s work will be displayed across Kelham, with an open gallery of his work spread across the whole area; and closer to the main festival site, his work will fill the rafters, windows and outdoor spaces of Burton Road.
Elsewhere you can while away sometime with a spot of cratedigging, as much-loved independent Sheffield record store Spinning Discs will be hosting a pop-up shop selling everything from new, reissue and select second hand vinyl for a wide range of musical tastes as well as records from the bumper list of artists playing the festival.
ALL OF THAT IN A NUTSHELL
What: Get Together Festival
When: Saturday 20th May
Where: Across Kelham Island
How much: £35 from gettogether.com
GI’ EM A FOLLOW!
Stay abreast of all the latest Get Together news, including fresh announcements, split times and venue info by following them online @getogetherfest
THE VENUES
A rundown of all the places who will be participating in Get Together 2023
