Catfish and the Bottlemen provide the perfect summer soundtrack at Citadel 2019

Last night, a luminous line-up of chart-topping artists lit up London’s Gunnersbury Park for Citadel 2019. The capital was awash with a flash-flood of live music, with a variety of acts spanning the sound spectrum across ten stages. 

Festival-goers were spoilt for choice on Sunday, with all sorts of entertainment on offer, including DJs, speakers and family-friendly activities. On top of this was of course the main event: the bands. Bears Den were this year’s headliners on the Communion Stage, performing tracks from their latest album So That You Might Hear Me. The group they were supported throughout the day by exciting up-and-coming artists such as Honeyblood and Jade Bird.

Warming up the Main Stage with their dance-infused summer vibes were indie rockers Friendly Fires, who brought an upbeat, animated set, comprising hits such as Jump in the Pool and Paris. Australian three-piece DMA’s also kept the heatwave coming, frontman Thomas O’Dell’s floral shirt as laid-back as his smooth vocals.

Bringing us all the way back home were London-based Bastille, the BRIT Award-winning outfit taking to the stage on none other than Bastille Day itself. The band gave a euphoric rendition of synth-pop smash hits such as Pompeii, Of the Night and Marshmello collaboration Happier, and it seemed everyone in the park had a reason to be smiling.

Finally, we had a visit from the boys next door as Welsh band Catfish and the Bottlemen performed a selection of crowd-pleasers from their three chart-topping albums The Balcony, The Ride and The Balance. Though the festival did have a distinct lack of female artists in the main lineup, the day did nonetheless provide a spine-tingling soundtrack for the summer.

The editorial unit
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events visit Citadel 2019’s website here.