Wakestock was Europe's largest wakeboard music festival, combining the cultures of music and wakeboarding. It was held on the Llŷn Peninsula in Wales, in between Pwllheli and Llanbedrog.
Founded by Mark Durston, the festival began in Abersoch, north Wales back in 2000, when it was a wakeboard contest with a party in a car park for 800 people, and from then on played host to some of the industry's leading bands and DJs, along with the biggest wakeboard competition in Europe. In 2008 50% of the festival was sold to Kilimanjaro Live aka KiliLive.com. In 2010 the festival entered its second decade and become part of the World Wakeboard Series. After the 2010 festival founder Mark Durston took an exit to work on other projects with full ownership then taken on by Kilimanjaro Live.
The festival was split over three sites – the main festival site at Penrhos, Pwllheli Marina hosts the main wakeboard competition and Abersoch Bay hosts the Big Air Classic competition. The festival prides itself as being at the foot of the Snowdonia Mountains and looks out over Cardigan Bay.
The festival had its own wakeboard 'Pool Gap' that allows the wakeboarders to showcase the sport up on the festival site. The Pool Gap consisted of two pools containing a total of 200,000 gallons of water connected by street style handrails that the wakeboarders slid along whilst being towed by an overhead cable system.
In February 2015 it was announced on Twitter and Facebook that the festival would not be held that year, but would return for 2016. In 2016 the festival was cancelled again. Organisers said, "It isn’t necessarily the case that Wakestock will never happen again but a significant level of investment in terms of time and money will need to take place ... before any commitment takes place." As of 2017 there have been no further announcements and the official website has been closed.
Staging
Up until at least 2013 the festival had three stages. Originally these were called the "Open Air Stage", the "Misadventures Stage", and the "Relentless Stage". The names were later changed to West Stage, East Stage, and South Stage. Across all three stages there was a mixture of live bands and DJs.
2014 Line-up This was the last festival to be held. Acts included: Tom Odell, Frank Turner, John Newman, Razorlight, Clean Bandit, Duke Dumont, Gorgon City, Frightened Rabbit, Ella Eyre, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Jess Glynne.
2013 Line-up Included: Bastille, Rudimental, Example, Magnetic Man, James, Twin Atlantic, Wiley, The 1975, Wretch 32, Zane Lowe, Echo & the Bunnymen, Candelas, Huw Stevens, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Kids in Glass Houses, Yr Eira
2012 Line-up The campsite opened from 1pm on Thursday 5 July. From 6pm the campers could attend the Wakestock pre-party if they had purchased a Thursday night arena pass for £10. They also needed to be in possession of a weekend camping, single day camping or vip weekend camping ticket. Nitro hosted the Thursday night pre-party with DJs Jaguar Skills, Nitro resident Jigsaw and Plastic Thumbs in the East Arena, doors opened from 6pm-12am.
On Thursday, 19 July at 12.50am Channel 4 aired a programme showing the highlights of the festival.
West Stage Friday 6 July Saturday 7 July Sunday 8 JulyCalvin Harris Rizzle Kicks Huw Stephens Random Impulse Alunageorge L Marshall Burns Lilygreen & MaguireDizzee Rascal Katy B Zane Lowe Goldierocks All The Young Swiss Lips Y BandanaEd Sheeran Chiddy Bang Benjamin Francis Leftwich Clement Marfo Mikill Pane Ryan Keen Br Lewis East Stage Friday 6 July Saturday 7 July Sunday 8 JulyFlux Pavilion Hadouken! Koan Sound Smiler Bastille Lulu James Sen SegurAnnie Mac DJ Fresh Live Ms Dynamite Breakage Karma Kid Jigsaw Ifan DafyddThe All American Rejects Funeral for a Friend Yashin Straight Lines A Plastic Rose Sŵnami South Stage Friday 6 July Saturday 7 July Sunday 8 JulyHigh Contrast feat Jessy Allen and Dynamite MC Friction Major Look Plastic Thumbs Jigsaw Ed Mackie F-BlockJacwob Doctor P Delta Heavy Jagga Simplex Ben Proudlove Andy CarrRedlight B.Traits Youngman Jimmy Needles Heavy Feet Church
2011 Line-up
West Stage Friday 8 July Saturday 9 July Sunday 10 JulyEllie Goulding Kids in Glass Houses Huw Stephens Lethal Bizzle Neon Trees Wolf Gang Ben Howard Mr PhormulaThe Wombats Beardy Man The Joy Formidable Fenech-Soler Little Comets All the Young Bare LeftBiffy Clyro The Cribs The Noisettes Charlie Simpson Pulled Apart by Horses Sibrydion East Stage Friday 8 July Saturday 9 July Sunday 10 JulyChase and Status Zane Lowe Chiddy Bang Kissy Sell Out Dev Yasmin Rizzle KicksKelis Sub Focus Far East Movement Modestep Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Friends Electric Giant StepsExample Wretch 32 Ed Sheeran Jaymo and Andy George Random Impulse Encore South Stage Friday 8 July Saturday 9 July Sunday 10 JulyDJ Fresh and Dynamite MC Danny Byrd Brookes Brothers Union Tek 1 Micky Slim GutterfunkCaspa and MC Rod Aslan Herve Nero Redlight Plastic Thumbs JigsawJaguar Skills Masters in France Colorama Mr Huw Inner Party System Pocket Trez
2010 Acts
Friday 2 July
Open Air stage Eric Prydz Fedde Le Grand Audio Bullys The Count & Sinden Bodyrox Zinc Dynamite MC Norman Jay Kenneth Buttplug
Misadventures Stage N-Dubz Mr Hudson Wiley Roll Deep McLean Pretty Lights Mr Phormula
Relentless Live Skream Toddla T & MC Serocee Jakwob Plastic Thumbs Jigsaw vs Rocketman Ben Proudlove
Saturday 3 July
Open Air stage Maxïmo Park Feeder Plan B The Last Republic Pete Lawrie
Misadventures Stage Chase & Status Zane Lowe Tinie Tempah Ou Est Le Swimming Pool Kissy Sell Out Tim Lyall
Relentless Live Scratch Perverts Nervo Goldierocks Duke SBTRKT Micky Slim Gutterfunk DJs
Sunday 4 July
Open Air stage The Ting Tings The Futureheads Band Of Skulls Los Campesinos! Race Horses Polly Mackey and The Pleasure Principle Y Niwl
Misadventures Stage Pete Tong Robyn Sub Focus Alex Gaudino Fenech-Soler Nervo
Relentless Live The King Blues Huw Stephens Frankie & The Heartstrings Yr Ods Masters in France The Kickbacks
2009 Acts
Full list of acts as follows:
Friday
Open Air Stage Moby Chicane James Zabiela Wally López Norman Jay Tim Lyall Brandon Block
XFM Stage Calvin Harris Noisettes Tommy Sparks Kissy Sell Out Goldierocks Ebony Bones Lets Go To War Dirty Goods Flamboyant Bella
Relentless Pyramid stage Mr Scruff DJ Format Part Time Heroes Goldierocks DJ Play Emily Williams
Saturday
Open Air Stage N*E*R*D Super Furry Animals Elliot Minor Sibrydion Gallops Ruth Kealy
XFM Stage The Pigeon Detectives Fightstar The Joy Formidable Little Comets Spinnerette Chew Lips Haunts
Relentless Pyramid stage Chase & Status Goldie London Elektricity Gutterfunk DJs Tim Lyall James Condon Manipulate DJs Aled Mann
Sunday
Open Air Stage Dizzee Rascal Zane Lowe Tinchy Stryder Red Light Company The Mission District Fran & Josh
XFM Stage The Zutons Just Jack The Cuban Brothers Kid British Marina and the Diamonds Jett Black Yr Ods Lazy Boys
Relentless Pyramid stage Zane Lowe Huw Stephens Goldierocks Golden Silvers Young Fathers Pritchard Vs Dainton
2008 Acts
Full list of acts as follows:
Friday
Groove Armada Pendulum Hadouken! Audio Bullys Plump DJs Trophy Twins Nu-Mark (Jurassic 5) Friendly Fires Sam Sparro Josh Gabriel Royworld TY Part Time Heroes
Saturday
Mark Ronson Happy Mondays Funeral for a Friend Calvin Harris Elliot Minor Mystery Jets Operator Please The Blackout You Me At Six In Case Of Fire Norman Jay Jazzie B Brandon Block Genod Droog Kickbox Riot
Sunday
The Streets The Futureheads Young Knives Lightspeed Champion The Nextmen Duffy The Hoosiers One Night Only Zane Lowe DJ Yoda Metronomy The Dykeenies Russian Dolls
2007 Acts
Incomplete list of acts:
Ferry Corsten Yousef Mark Ronson Just Jack and the Shapeshifters Dirty Pretty Things Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly Brandon Block
Partners & Sponsors
Wakestock is involved with the local community and has partners from the surrounding area as well as some global names.
2010 partners list
Relentless Malibu Boats We7 Yamaha Hyperlite Jägermeister British Army RNLI
See also Wakestock (Canada)
References
External links
Wakestock information from BBC Wales