The List Promoter Interview
The List Festival is a small, boutique, and cultural music and arts festival based at The Yorkshire Scare grounds in Wakefield. From July 29th to 31st 2022, it offers three carefully curated areas of music, a mouthwatering array of street food vendors and plenty of local artists doing live shows, drag queen performances and plenty more with headliners including Prosumer, Crazy P, Mark Farina, Sean Johnston, James Holroyd, Maxxi Soundsystem, PBR Streetgang, Paramida, Begin, Annabel Fraser, Tristan da Cunha and many more. Head to Eventbrite for tickets.
Jacob Kelly, the promoter for the festival, said:
1) What gave you the idea for the area themes?
When we visited the Yorkshire Scare Grounds for the first time myself (Jacob), my Wife JoJo and business partner Tom Thorpe were blown away with what the owners of the grounds have achieved and built there. The areas pretty much named themselves thanks to the layout and vibe the existing structures and follies gave off.
2) What made you choose the location?
2) What made you choose the location?
When we came up with the concept of The List Festival, we wanted to find somewhere new and exciting that no one had put on such an event as ours to give people that unique experience. JoJo who is also a radio broadcaster for Capital FM had been working with the Yorkshire Scare Grounds for their Halloween events for around 10 years. She mentioned that we should all go up to have a look and chat with the owners. As soon as we set foot on the grounds we knew that we had found something VERY unique and interesting. Myself and Tom walked around the site with our jaws dragging on the floor and excitement in our eyes with all the possibilities achievable for our event. Wakefield is perfectly located between Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and Huddersfield so great for a local pull and also just off the M1 for those that travel further afield.
3) How long have you been throwing events?
3) How long have you been throwing events?
Between the three of us we have over 75 years of working in the Music Industry in all different roles. We have all been involved in putting events on in some sort of format within that period of time. We have pretty much done it all, from small private parties to large festivals in the UK and abroad. Reading that back makes us sound old, but I like to think of it as “experienced”.
4) What made you get into throwing events?
4) What made you get into throwing events?
From my point of view it was something that just happened, I had a group of friends that were all into the same style of music and going to the same sorts of clubs. We wanted to start putting on our own events to see where it would take us, it then just rolled on from there. No matter if the event was a flop or not and after saying “that’s it I’m never doing another event” here I am still putting on events years later.
5) What makes The List special?
5) What makes The List special?
The festival is proud to be all-inclusive: there is no discrimination to race, colour, creed or sexual orientation making it a real melting pot and a super safe environment where people are free to be themselves. As we are only very small most people know each other and have very similar outlooks on life, creating a great community vibe throughout the event.
As much as we are only small our carefully curated line up is not. We have booked some of the best DJ’s from around the globe, bringing the legendary Mark Farina from Chicago to play one of his iconic Mushroom Jazz sets, Eclectic DJ Paramida from Berlin, Disco favourites Crazy P, UK based and local DJ’s.
JoJo has launched her very own “Lucky Cat Cabaret” which features some amazing Burlesque acts such as Anna Fur Laxis, Comedy acts headed up by James Barr who is also on tour at the Edinburgh Fringe and top Drag acts performing on stage.
We are great believers in supporting local businesses and have some great independent food vendors to keep people fueled throughout the weekend.
But most of all it’s the people that make the party and make The List special.
Tickets HERE