When Parklife was first launched in 2010 it was a much smaller affair. Held over at Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield, it was just one day, 20,000 tickets were sold, and Ian Brown performed the night before. Not too shabby. But 12 years on Parklife is now a whole other beast.
So, what is it like to be the face of what is now the UK’s biggest metropolitan festival? “Pulling your hair out and firefighting,” says Parklife co-founder Sacha Lord, who is working from home on the day we talk, and feeling slightly fragile following a trip to the Etihad to watch Liam Gallagher’s homecoming gig the night before.
Though, would you expect anything less from Manchester’s night time economy advisor, who has spent most of his career championing the city’s music industry. One of the bosses behind Sankeys during the early ’00s and founder of clubbers' sanctuary The Warehouse Project, Lord’s impact on Manchester has been far-reaching to say the least.
As we speak, he’s mindful that in just over a weeks time, 80,000 festival-goers will pour through the gates at Heaton Park - Parklife’s home since 2013 - to watch a huge line-up of international stars including 50 Cent, Tyler, The Creator, Megan Thee Stallion and Lewis Capaldi, to name just a few.
They’ll be joined by dancefloor royalty Bicep, who’ll headline The Valley Stage for the very first time, whilst Chase and Status, Jamie xx, Arlo Park and Headie One are also set to appear. Elsewhere, DJ sets across the weekend come courtesy of Four Tet, Eric Prydz and Peggy Gou, amongst others.
Back in its usual June spot following a September stint in 2021 due to Covid restrictions, the Parklife boss is understandably apprehensive. “It’s always mixed emotions for me, I’m excited but also extremely nervous - it never gets any easier that’s for sure. It’s the starting pistol of the festival season, it coincides with the end of year for students, which is no coincidence, so it’s just one big party, and it’s like ‘here we go, summer’s here.'”
Of course, getting Parklife off the ground each year is no small feat either: “If you go on site today you’ll see hundreds of people, and during the event itself there’s four and a half thousand people that work each day. That’s 1,000 security, 800 bar staff, 250 police and more - it’s phenomenal.
“It’s great that customers can just turn up and enjoy themselves but if they could see what goes on behind the scenes - it’s a serious operation.”
In the shadow of lockdown restrictions, last year’s edition proved particularly challenging, but despite the pressure to pull off a festival under less than favourable circumstances, Lord believes the festival had an important role to play in the sector’s recovery. “I’m not going to make this political but there were 2.8 million freelancers that received no help during Covid, and it’s great to see them in working environments again.
“Last year was really special, it was one of the first festivals back and it felt like a real family atmosphere behind the scenes. Freelancers were hugging each other, it just felt really warm.
“I’ll never forget last year some of the kids who were coming through the gates and hugging each other and crying, they hadn’t seen their friends for months and months - it was a really special occasion, and I think the public have started to understand the power of events and festivals more than they did pre-pandemic, because if we forget what’s actually happened in the perimeters of Heaton Park, on the outside, there’s a whole ecology of hotel rooms, taxis, bars, restaurants and new outfits to consider. It brings back £13 million into the local economy.”
So, what’s new for 2022 you might ask? Well, alongside the usual behind-the-scenes stage tweaks and production overhauls, this year’s event will see a greater variety of food and drink operators, as Lord steers it away from the usual festival grub.
“We don’t want to be one of these festivals that churns out burgers and chips. We’ve got about 80 caterers on site and we do sit down and hand-pick them, so we’re always trying to better ourselves when it comes to the food offering. I think the days of crappy burgers and chips are finished. People want quality now.”
Burger and chips aside, the real question is, who is Sacha Lord most looking forward to seeing? “Well, it’s got to be 50 Cent obviously, right? And Lewis Capaldi as well, he makes me laugh and comes across as a really genuine and humble person.”
Truth be told, Lord's standout moments aren’t necessarily the artists. He is working, after all, and is often preoccupied by ensuring everyone is having a good time.
“My advice for first timers is always the same, plain and simple: You’ve paid for your ticket, you’ve looked forward to it for months, the people coming will be there to spend time with friends, so just pace yourselves - look after each other, and be as safe as you possibly can. If you find yourself in trouble or you’ve had too much to drink, go and see the nearest member of staff. We’ve got ample security and paramedics on site to help you."
But when all is said and done, and Parklife shuts its gates at 11pm next Sunday night, there's one thing that will truly make Lord feel like he's done a good job: "80,000 people returning home with smiles on their faces - that would make me happy."
Parklife 2022 takes place between Saturday, 11 and Sunday 12 of June at Manchester's Heaton Park. To follow our coverage, head to our dedicated Parklife festival page.
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