Readipop first line-up announcement includes hip hop legends Sugarhill Gang

READIPOP Festival 2022 has just made its first line-up announcement for the three day all-ages charity festival by the bank of the Thames in Caversham.

Morcheeba join the Sugarhill Gang and Badly Drawn Boy at Christchurch Meadows from Friday, July 8, to Sunday, July 10.

Readipop Festival celebrates its fifth anniversary this year.

All money raised by the popular family-friendly festival helps support Readipop’s charity work providing access to music for vulnerable young people and other underrepresented communities locally.

Hip hop legends Sugarhill Gang (with Melle Mel and Scorpio from Furious 5), Morcheeba, British soul and trip hop pioneers with over 10 million global album sales, and Mercury Music Prize winner Badly Drawn Boy are the star names.

Joining them are a diverse array of new and established artists including Michele and Romeo Stodart from The Magic Numbers, BBC 6Music championed Liverpudlian electro-pop trio Stealing Sheep, Grammy nominated indie/dance innovators Jesus Jones, world and dance music fusionists Transglobal Underground, Nigel Clark, frontman of Britpop favourites Dodgy, and DJ Format.

Supporting local talent is a key goal of both Readipop Festival and Readipop’s charity work.

This year’s festival sees an exclusive show from Reading reggae collective The Drop, plus a special showcase of aspiring local musicians on the Readipop AAA programme.

Local artists OSP, Amya-Ray, K.Kayne and Hatty Taylor who are all signed to Riser, Readipop’s new record label, will be performing.

Also, BBC Introducing in Berkshire will host a takeover on the Sunday and selecting the opening acts on the mainstage on Friday and Saturday.

In addition to the music, there’s local real ales and craft beer served by Purple Turtle bars, street food, a record store and Reading’s Indie Urban Market stalls full of festival-friendly arts, crafts and clothes stalls.

Free tickets for under-14s (accompanied by adults) and a family area which includes storytellers, arts and crafts, dance and music workshops. Weekend tickets are available now from £49 each at readipop.co.uk/festival

Here’s the first 20 acts announced:

Morcheeba/Sugarhill Gang + Melle Mel and Scorpio (Furious 5)/Badly Drawn Boy/Romeo and Michele Stodart (The Magic Numbers)/Stealing Sheep/Jesus Jones/DJ Format /Sunscreem/ Transglobal Underground/Nigel Clarke (Dodgy)/The Drop/Brother Zulu/Amya-Ray / Beatroots/Hatty Taylor/K.Kane/OSP/Moving On Choir/Takata Percussion/ Tea and Jam