The Human League, Years & Years, Self Esteem and Bloc Party to headline Standon Calling

Standon Calling has confirmed a quartet of quality headliners for 2023's four-day festival.

Synth pop pioneers-turned-80s icons The Human League will top the bill as the fun kicks off on Thursday July 23, before Olly Alexander's Years & Years take to the main stage on Friday night. Saturday sees the return of Self Esteem, who made her Standon debut this year, and on Sunday Bloc Party will close the show.

Their support includes a host of big new names to Standon, some festival stalwarts and the fresh faces who are the stars of tomorrow.

Confirmed to appear are American singer Anastacia, Australian indie electro-pop band Confidence Man, former Spice Girl and solo star Melanie C, Natasha Woods, the English musician, singer and songwriter who is better known to music fans as Dylan, On a Mission artist Katy B, Scottish musician KT Tunstall and rockers Scouting for Girls.

Music fans can also enjoy Glastonbury duo Sad Night Dynamite, the comedic Lynks, Finnish thrash metal band Stone, hip-hop rapper Ayrtn, Dublin garage punks Sprints, teen sensation Flowerovlove, dance music masters Girls of the Internet, Standon favourites the Cuban Brothers and Queer House Party.

Standon Calling began as a birthday barbecue for founder Alex Trenchard in 2001 and has grown year on year into a four-day, fancy-dress extravaganza of music and comedy that is fun for all the family – including canine companions.

Alex said: "2022 was an incredibly special year for all of us at Standon Calling. It’s given us so much excitement to look forward to 2023, in what is shaping up to be the greatest Standon Calling to date. We’re so proud of this year’s progress in booking a gender-balanced headline bill and are certainly in for a good time.

"Couldn’t be happier to bring Self Esteem back in an even bigger slot alongside Bloc Party, an all-time favourite of ours and one of the greatest modern alternative indie rock bands around.

"With more iconic names like Years & Years, The Human League and many more, we’ve booked some of the best live acts going, including future superstars ready to take over 2023 and much more. This announcement really captures everything important about Standon Calling. We can’t wait to see everyone next July, and we’ve got a lot more surprises to come – so stay tuned!”

The headliners this year span six decades of chart success. The Human League, formed in Sheffield in 1977, dominated the charts in the early 1980s and are best known for third album Dare and the UK and US number one single Don't You Want Me.

Founder member, lead singer and songwriter Phil Oakey has remained the band's one constant and the line-up has been settled since the mid-1990s as a trio with dancers and singers Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley.

In all, The Human League have notched up six top 20 albums and 13 top 20 singles in the UK and have sold more than 20 million records worldwide.

Years & Years began as a three-piece band, but since a split in 2021 after 11 years together, it has been singer and actor Olly Alexander's solo project.

The frontman received critical and popular acclaim for his role in Channel 4's AIDS era drama It's a Sin.

Years & Years' album, Communion, hit number one on the UK album chart in July 2015 and was the fastest-selling debut album of the year from a UK band.

The single King topped the charts in the UK and was a hit in Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland.

Their second studio album, Palo Santo, was also a best seller and features singles Sanctify and If You're Over Me.

The success continued with third album Night Call, Alexander's solo project, which debuted at number one on the UK album chart.

Self Esteem, performer Rebecca Taylor, made her debut as a headliner at Standon Calling in 2022, topping the bill at Laundry Meadows. She previously appeared at the festival in 2017 as part of indie-folk duo Slow Club before going solo and earning the accolade of BBC Introducing Artist of the Year 2021 and a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2022 Brit Awards.

Following the success of her album Prioritise Pleasure, filled with intimate, confessional and witty lyricism, the 36-year-old will step up to the main stage next year.

Bloc Party – now featuring vocalist Kele Okereke, guitarist Russell Lissack, bass player Justin Harris and drummer Louise Bartle – have been entertaining with a blend of rock with electronica and house since the early Noughties.

With their distinctive guitar sound, they are acclaimed live performers and veterans of the festival scene with sets at Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds.

Their debut album, Silent Alarm, was certified platinum and its 2007 follow-up, A Weekend in the City, reached No 2 in the UK albums chart and 12 on the Billboard 200.

Third long-player Intimacy enjoyed similar success before the band paused for a series of side projects. They returned in 2011 with the aptly named album Four.

Hymns and their last release Alpha Games complete their canon and represent over three million albums sold worldwide.

For more details about Standon Calling 2023 and to book tickets and camping tickets, see https://standon-calling.com/.