Portals Festival 2024 has unveiled a heavyweight lineup with the iconic post-rock outfit from Akron, Ohio, If These Trees Could Talk, taking center stage. This marks their inaugural UK performance since their formation in 2005, making the festival on Sunday 26th May a one-off UK appearance for the year. The quintet will light up the main stage with their ethereal guitar work, enveloping attendees in a soundscape only they can create.
The festival announcement doesn’t stop there; Tokyo’s instrumental-rock maestros LITE are also on the billing, making a grand return to the UK since their last show in 2018. Joining the eclectic lineup are the captivating math-rock tunes of Elephant Gym from Taiwan, the rejuvenated infectious beats of Ireland’s Enemies, along with Town Portal (Denmark), Yama Warashi, Midas Fall, My Octopus Mind, and qariaq, further enriching the musical palette of the festival.
The festival, after its venue shift to EartH, Hackney in 2023, has now laid down a bold marker with arguably its most ambitious lineup to date. Festival Founder & Director Asher Kenton expressed his excitement over securing If These Trees Could Talk, having pursued them since the festival’s inception in 2015. The effort finally bore fruit, promising a monumental moment in UK’s experimental music annals.
Portals Festival, which has morphed from a modest 7-band event in 2015 to a significant name on the alternative, math, and post-rock scene, has more in store with over 20 more bands yet to be announced. The festival is slated for the weekend of 25th & 26th May 2024, promising a blend of established names and burgeoning talents across its stages.
Tickets are up for grabs, with the festival taking place at EartH in Hackney, London, a locale that witnessed a resounding success in the 2023 edition featuring the likes of MONO, And So I Watch You From Afar, and Maybeshewill among others. The venue, with its Hall, Theatre, and Bar stages, offers an immersive experience for attendees, whether they’re there for the big names or the promising up-and-comers.
