Festival: press
January 2010
2009 Press and Publicity overview
24 million people exposed to the festival
Advertising Value equivalent to £200k+
3000 people in attendance
20+ supporting events in London, New York and Malawi
| Publication | Date/Issue |
| Notion | 040/2009 |
| Songlines | 01/07/2009 |
| Guardian | 11/07/2009 |
| Nyasa Times | 01/08/2009 |
| Nerdy Frames | 04/08/2009 |
| NME.com | 05/08/2009 |
| thesupermariobros.com | 06/08/2009 |
| London Lite | 07/08/2009 |
| thelondonpaper | 07/08/2009 |
| the playroom sessions | 07/08/2009 |
| Wikipedia | 08/08/2009 |
| Resident Advisor | 13/08/2009 |
| Music Not Mayhem | 14/08/2009 |
| Independent on Sunday | 16/08/2009 |
| glasswerk.co.uk | 16/08/2009 |
| Vocaltutor Singing Tuition | 16/08/2009 |
| I House U | 17/08/2009 |
| We Love Music | 21/08/2009 |
| Guardian - Guide | 22/08/2009 |
| The Observer | 23/08/2009 |
| BBC 6 Music | 26/08/2009 |
| Leyline Promotions | 27/08/2009 |
| Xfm London/Manchester | 28/08/2009 |
| BBC News 24 / BBC breakfast | |
| Bodytonic Music | 01/09/2009 |
| London Lite | 21/09/2009 |
| BBC News 24 | 04/10/2009 |
| clashmusic.com | 29/09/2009 |
| Clash Magazine | 01/11/2009 |
| Ross Allen MoS Radio | 12/10/2009 |
| BBC News website | 16/10/2009 |
| Post-festival coverage | |
| BBC World Service | 29/10/2009 |
| NME | 31/10/2009 |
| nme.com | 17/10/2009 |
| nme.com | 05/11/2009 |
| nme.com | 27/10/2009 |
| Resident Advisor | 22/10/2009 |
| Associated Press | 30/10/2009 |
| Spinner (AOL Music) | 04/11/2009 |
| Africa News | 18/10/2009 |
| The Nation | 20/10/2009 |
| Nyasa Times | 20/10/2009 |
| Ross Allen MoS Radio | 26/10/2009 |
| Ross Allen MoS Radio | 02/11/2009 |
| NME | 14/11/2009 |
| Virtual Festivals | 18/11/2009 |
| Independent | 20/11/2009 |
| Independent.co.uk | 20/11/2009 |
| Rich Mix Series | |
| Guardian | Sept/Oct |
| Observer Music Monthly | Sept/Oct |
| Songlines | Sept/Oct |
August 2009
vinspired Lake of Stars Festival 2009 – News Flash
Venue Announced: Sunbird Nkopola, Mangochi, Malawi
The location for this year’s vinspired Lake of Stars Festival Malawi has just been announced.
Taking place for the first time at the stunning Sunbird Nkopola Lodge at the southern end of Lake Malawi, this new venue represents an ideal point between Lilongwe and Blantyre, the two major cities in Malawi. Nestling amongst a huge swathe of other accommodation options, Sunbird Nkopola Lodge itself has a wide selection of rooms and camping facilities and is widely regarded as one of the best destinations in all of Malawi. The on-site accommodation is surrounded by lush tropical gardens and looks over the mesmerising waters of the great lake, with many of Malawi’s beautiful locations within half a day’s drive, including Mount Mulanje, Liwonde National Park and the Zomba Plateau.
June 19 2009
vinspired Lake of Stars Festival 2009 – News Flash
New dates announced: Thursday 15th October – Sunday 18th 2009
Press release as word doc
Now the first rays of summer have started in what is hoped to be a scorching season in the UK, the first news has just been released for this year’s vinspired Lake of Stars Festival in Malawi. There are several important changes afoot – including a slightly later date and brand new location – along with the very exciting news that this year, Lake of Stars is being sponsored by v, The National Young Volunteers Service.
vinspired Lake of Stars enters its sixth year on Thursday 15th – Sunday 18th October and is again set to be one of the most talked about festivals on the global music scene. From a simple idea to promote tourism in a part of the world little heard of and to unite diverse musical and cultural backgrounds, the event has established itself as one of the most respected projects of its kind.
As a festival, it truly offers something different for those looking to expand their horizons and to experience somewhere new in the world – music, adventure and a true cultural and aural odyssey combine in a journey from which everyone returns with a fresh perspective on life. With the festival season at saturation point and all offering much of the same, vinspired Lake of Stars’ ambition and ethos continues to shine through, garnering the respect of all whom perform and attend.
At the end of June we will announce this year’s new location, another stunning beachside setting situated on the palm-fringed shores of Lake Malawi.
In 2009 vinspired Lake of Stars is being supported by v, The National Young Volunteers Service – www.vinspired.com - together we are working towards recruiting volunteers to take part in the UK-based music events happening in the summer and later in the autumn. This is the first time vinspired Lake of Stars is calling upon the UK’s diverse background of young people between the ages of 16-25. Please go to the website for more info: www.vinspired.com
So far, this year’s lineup is looking like:
The Maccabees
Sway
Nihal (Radio 1)
Tayo
Joe Goddard (Hot Chip)
Radioclit
Ross Allen
Ali B
Dekker & Johan
And many African artists to be announced.
In the previous years Lake of Stars has attracted a broad range of talent. Everyone from British DJs including Groove Armada’s Andy Cato, Radio 1’s Annie Mac and Basement Jaxx’s Felix B, through to inspired live and acoustic sessions from Seth Lakeman in 2008 and Radioclit’s and Esau’s project The Very Best, complimented by other stars of the electronic scene and DJs and artists from all of the Western hemisphere.
Part of the true magic of vinspired Lake of Stars is the incredible sonic displays from Malawian, regional and other African artists. Not least with astonishing ranges of aural creation, from solo singers and musicians to fully-blown bands and collectives who wow the crowds every year. From Lucius Banda and Wambali to the Black Missionaries and Goldfish, over to Yewande, Tiwonge and The Swahili Hiphop Foundation,
The four day festival promotes Malawian artists and provides travellers and locals alike with the opportunity to enjoy fantastic live music in an exotic and beautiful location whilst directly contributing to the country’s economy. For many the festival is the focal point of travelling around this beautiful part of Africa, forming part of an itinerary spanning across what Malawi has to offer. This is an experience for those ready for a real adventure; an event that brings together music-lovers from all over the world to one of the most stunning locations imaginable – from dusty towns and isolated rural villages to the majestic peaks of Mount Mulanje, over to the stunning Lake Malawi itself, shimmering in the evening sunlight, and vast rolling landscapes of raw and untouched beauty.
vinspired Lake of Stars 2009
Thursday 15th – Sunday 18th October
Go to www.lakeofstars.org for more information
Notes to Editors:
For Lake of Stars:
For general enquiries, please contact: will@lakeofstars.org / 07725 428 377
For UK press enquires, please contact: damo@tandempr.co.uk / 07795 663 114
For global press enquiries, please contact: kim@insanitygroup.com
+44 (0) 20 7927 6222
Notes about v:
v aims to inspire a new generation of volunteers (aged 16-25) in England. We do this by funding voluntary organisations all over England to create inspiring, diverse opportunities and by helping to overcome barriers that stop people from taking action to improve lives, communities and the planet. Our aim is to create a culture where volunteering comes naturally – and where the benefits of volunteering are understood and celebrated.
To do this we have two major streams of activity: as a volunteering founder; and as a central point of contact for all 16-25s.
- Working in partnership with over 500 voluntary, community and public sector organisations more than 311,000 young people aged 16-25 years have taken part in volunteering funded by v. And that figure is set to grow to more than a million with 875,000 opportunities already commissioned by v.
- In addition, we have attracted over £35m from the private sector
- www.vinspired.com is our consumer facing brand and a place where people can search for local volunteering opportunities and share experiences using online tools including blogging and video. The site is constantly evolving and strives to challenge the traditional perceptions of volunteering trough its look, feel, language and usability
- v has also provided a national framework to deliver a local service, by introducing 107 vinvolved teams (one in each local authority area across England) to act as central hubs within the community for potential volunteers, businesses, charities and other local networks.
- Furthermore, v has already introduced an innovative online awards scheme, which enables young people across England to gain recognition for 50 hours of community action. The v50 Award provides young people with an important opportunity to record the hours spent volunteering, and reflect on the skills they have gained through their placements. On completion of the v50 Award, young volunteers can progress onto the vImpact Award, motivating them to continue making a positive contribution to their community
v is an independent charity launched in May 2006 as a result of the Russell Commission report, A National Framework for Youth Action and Engagement.
See www.vinspired.com for more information on what we do and how we do it.
For v press enquires, please contact: jane.eggleton@vinspired.com / 020 7960 7018
April 09
Lake of Stars 9th best festival in the world. Horizon magazine.
Something of an undiscovered gem, this
three-day festival was conceived as a way of
raising funds for local charities and to boost
the image of Malawi as a tourist destination – and to offer a mix of African musicians and
British DJs and acts in a bewitchingly exotic and beautiful
setting.
Lake of Stars. Songlines June 2008
Metro April 2008 lake of stars
Guardian travel 2008 cover | inside
Times article 2008 TIM18191FV05 OPG
Guardian Travel road trip 2007
Guardian Travel road trip 2007
Observer MM article M.Rowlands