Madness to headline Sunday night, Bearded Theory Festival 2017

Festival Crowd Header

Bearded Theory will reverberate with the sounds of classic hits including ‘Our House’, 'Baggy Trousers’ and ‘One Step Beyond’, as we are delighted to announce that North London’s finest nutty boys, Madness will headline the main stage on Sunday night.

Madnesss are one of the UK's best loved bands, achieving more than twenty chart hit singles, many of them instantly recognisable classics. Performing at both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert and London Olympic Games closing ceremony in 2012, Madness have ascended into true ’national treasure’ status, and Bearded Theory are delighted to be welcoming them to Catton Hall in Derbyshire, hot off the back of a major arena tour this winter.

Steve Blount, Bearded Theory organiser says, “We are chuffed to bits to have finally secured the booking of Madness, a band we have been trying to confirm for the past couple of years. Having seen the band twice this year, including their epic performance on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, I knew we had to bag them to close out our tenth anniversary celebrations”.

Bearded Theory are also proud to announce a number of additional main stage bookings. Alabama 3 will be returning with more of their chaotic, techno-fuelled southern (London) blues. 6Music DJ extraordinaire Don Letts will bring his legendary bulging record bag of classic tunes and Skippinish will showcase their bagpipe-infused traditional Scottish folk music. Former Dum Dum’s frontman Josh Doyle, Manchester Regge legends Nucleus Roots, and Sheffield-based ‘explosive dub’ act Smiling Ivy have also all been added to the bill.

As previously announced, seminal British rock act Skunk Anansie, and punk duo Slaves will headline the Pallet (Main) stage, on Friday.

Skunk Anansie, fronted by the legendary Skin, will be the first female fronted band to headline Bearded Theory`s Spring Gathering. Talking ahead of their appearance the band said “Stoked to be headlining Friday at Bearded Theory. This festival is crazy good and we are looking forward to smashing it”. 

Radio 1 favourites Slaves have just secured their second top 10 album with “Take Control” going to number 6 in October. Their debut album ‘Are You Satisfied’ charted at Number 8 last year, and we are delighted to have finally bagged them after a few years of trying.

Skunk Anansie and Slaves are joined on the Pallet (main) Stage by alternative rock/punk band The Alarm, Bearded Theory legends New Model Army, Ska legends The Selecter, seminal hip-hop act Sugar Hill Gang & Furious Five, Punk stalwarts Goldblade, and festival favorites Ferocious Dog, alongside Kassasin Street, Flight Brigade, The Mocking Jays Jaya the Cat, and many more.

Friday night on the beautiful Woodland Stage will be headlined by multi-million selling Britpop survivors, Cast. Northern Irish singer songwriter Foy Vance tops the bill on Saturday. Sunday will be closed by Sheffield’s finest (and good friends of the festival) Reverend & The Makers, who specifically requested to make a Woodland Stage appearance.

Jon from Reverend & the Makers says, "If festivals were judged on vibe alone then Bearded Theory is the best in the world and we cannot wait to close the 10th anniversary"

Joining these amazing headliners on the Woodland are heavy rockers Tess Of The Circle, dub punk band Smiley & The Underclass, folk act Roving Crows, Bhangra rockers Kissmet, Ska punkers Defekters, modern folk band MAIA, cow punk legends Pronghorn (celebrating their 25th year anniversary). American pop rockers Wheatus also make a welcome return to BT.

As a massive thank you to all our loyal festivalgoers who have supported Bearded Theory on its journey this far, Thursday’s “bonus” Pallet stage line-up will feature virtually the entire 2008 Saturday Main Stage bill! As such we welcome back Bearded favourites Dreadzone (LIVE), 3 Daft Monkeys, Tarantism, True Deceivers, Hobo Jones & The Junkyards Dogs and more to help celebrate our 10th anniversary year.

Bearded Theory’s Spring Gathering returns after an absolutely incredible, sold out event in 2016, which received universally positive reviews; Louder Than War boldly stated that “Bearded Theory is by a distance the best medium sized festival in the country”.

 

The press accolades have also been echoed by the music industry, and Bearded Theory was awarded Best Family Festival at the 2016 UK Festival Awards, and shortlisted in three further categories. 

Published on 19 December 2016 by Ben Robinson

Recent News More news

  • Margate Summer Series 2025: A Summer of Music Extravaganza at Dreamla

    The Margate Summer Series 2025 at Dreamland promises an unforgettable summer with a star-studded lineup including Billy Ocean, McFly, Sugababes, Basement Jaxx, and more. Get ready for a music-filled experience like never before!

  • Green Man Festival Unveils Full Line-Up and Day Splits

    Green Man Festival in Wales announces the diverse music lineup and day splits for its highly anticipated 2025 edition, featuring acclaimed artists such as Cymande, KOKOROKO, Cass McCombs, and more.

  • Duran Duran Announce Headline Show at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena,

    Duran Duran, the legendary British band, will headline a show at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena on October 26, 2025, marking their final UK performance of the year. This exclusive event precedes their Halloween extravaganza in Manchester on October 31, promising a night of essential hits and rare tra

  • Idlewild Announces First Album in Six Years

    Scottish band Idlewild is back with their self-titled album, marking their first release since 2019. The album, 'Idlewild', will be released on October 3rd through V2 Records. They have also unveiled the single 'Stay Out Of Place', promising a blend of warmth and melodic charm that fans have come to

Upcoming Festivals Browse all

  • Alsager Music Festival

    12 July - 13 July 2025

    Started in 2009 as a way of giving the young local people of Alsager and surrounding Cheshire the chance to enjoy a summer event that breaks up the long holidays, Alsager Music Festival has grown in p...

  • Kubix Festival

    12 July 2025

    Kubix Festival is a huge music event taking place in the North East and bringing globally successful and homegrown talent to the stage to celebrate their illustrious careers.

  • Lost Minds

    12 July 2025

    Lost Minds Festival returns in 2025 for another wild live dance music event featuring many of the biggest and best artists. The action will occur during the In The Park Newcastle event during the May ...