Star news

Local band Dead Presidents will be just one of the many bands performing at the music and arts festival next month and they are delighted to be returning to the Hillsborough stage.

The Dead Presidents are a brass, heavy funk rock powerhouse that has been rocking clubs up and down the country with their unique blend of Funky Soulful Rock since their inception in August 2009.

Having recently released their debut EP, the band are making waves in the local music scene.

“We have played every single Sunflowerfest since it began,” explained Dead Presidents’ Matthew Wilson. “It is great craic and it had a lot of heart and soul.

“Michael and everyone involved run a very good festival and I would be going even if I wasn’t performing,” he added.

Legendary instrumental rock band Ozric Tentacles perform their first ever festival show in Ireland when they headline Sunflowerfest 2013.

Also headlining the bill are Alabama 3 Unplugged and the Godfathers of live dance acts, Eat Static, as Sunflowerfest delivers its greatest ever line-up.

It is a massive coup for the three day event, which is now in its fourth year and continues to be the fastest-growing music and arts festival in Ireland.

The headline acts join the very best bands and artists from across Ireland and beyond including The Rupture Dogs, The Hot Sprockets, Lisburn band Mojo Fury, NI Soul Troop, Ed Zealous, Emerald Armada, Stormzone, Oddsocks Revival, The Bonnevilles, Henry Cluney (Stiff Little Fingers), Sea Pinks, We Town Criers, The Screaming Eagles, Zombified, Gacy’s Threads, The Twisted Sisters, and My Fellow Sponges.

As well as an eclectic line-up of bands and artists, people of all ages can enjoy a plethora of festival extras from poetry and comedy to kid-orientated circus workshops and dance classes. Children will be mesmerized in a land of make-believe as they help the fairy queen prevent evil pirates from making people walk the plank of the Black Sheep, anchored by the Enchanted Glade of Mystery and Surprise. They can also enjoy Sunflowerfest’s dedicated kids’ zone with willow sculpting, music workshops, arts and crafts, puppetry, face painting and yoga. Interactive dance classes including jumping jive, rock and roll, boogie babies and Shim Sham are also on offer. Festival-goers can enjoy literature, story-telling and discussion in the Moot, a craft village and a delicious selection of world foods and premium German beers. This year Sunflower Bliss teams up with the Lighthouse centre to create NeverNever land, where revellers can relax and nourish mind, body and soul, and seek eternal youth, enjoy the wildlife including rare birds, and try their hand at old crafts and trades.

Sunflowerfest offers in total, five arenas playing host to over 60 music acts and over 30 other performers. Weekend camping, licensed bars and festival extras are also included. A range of tickets are on sale now from www.sunflowerfest.co.uk and the Belfast Welcome Centre on 9024 6609. Weekend Camping Tickets costing £69.95 plus booking fees, Friday Only Tickets cost £22.95 plus booking fees, Saturday Only Tickets cost £27.95 plus booking fees and Sunday Only Tickets cost £15.95 plus booking fees.

If you would like to be in with a chance of winning a pair of weekend tickets for Sunflowerfest, answer this simple question: ‘What is the name of the farm in Hillsborough that will host this year’s Sunflowerfest?’ Send your answer, name, address and daytime telephone number to Sunflowerfest Competition, Ulster Star, 12A Bow Street, Lisburn, BT28 1BN. Alternatively, email your answer and contact telephone number to [email protected].