We've all been waiting for it, and now it's finally here. We present to you, the line-up for this year's Freshers' Festival.
The wait is finally over!
We’ve been working extra hard behind the scenes this summer to make sure you guys have the best Freshers’ Festival yet, and we're delighted to be able to announce this year's line-up.
Your Freshers' Ball headline act will be electronic music duo Chase & Status + Rage (DJ Set), as they make their way back to Royal Holloway after performing for us at Summer Ball in 2017.
We’re also bringing British rapper Big Narstie to everyone’s favourite Flawless night, and Irish indie rock band Two Door Cinema Club (DJ Set) for Smells Like Teen Spirit. Freshers’ Festival wouldn’t be the same without an Ibiza style party, so none other than Patrick Nazemi will be bringing back the summer vibes for our Ibiza Pool Party.
The only way to secure your ticket to all of these events is to buy one of our Freshers' Festival wristbands - be fast because they will sell out!
Buy a Freshers' Festival wristband
As well as all of this, we have over 35 events taking place in total and it's not all about drinking and partying. We've got a host of daytime events including Union Fest, Colour Run, Disney Karaoke, Laser Tag, and even a trip to IKEA to name just a few.
Our evening offering has expanded this year too with a number of alcohol-free events taking place in Imagine. We'll be bringing you Live: Acoustic with performances from local acts, BASIC Bingo, a Craft Session, a Board and Video Games Night and even a Silent Disco. The Packhorse has everything from A Night At The Circus to their weekly Big Fat Pub Quiz, with Rugby World Cup on TV and more food, drinks and live music you could dream of.
Check out all of the events
Chase & Status + Rage (DJ Set)
After meeting at the University of Manchester in 2003, Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status) formed the electronic music duo Chase & Status. 15 years and six albums later, the duo have had four singles featured in the top 10 of the UK charts, have spent 54 weeks in the top 40 and made it to number one on the UK Dance Chart with their single ‘Pieces’.
Their career hit a groundbreaking point in 2011, when their album No More Idols became the 17th biggest selling album in the UK, featuring collaborations from major artists like Plan B, Dizzie Rascal and Tinie Tempah. That year, the duo also won the Drum & Bass Award for Best Live Act and Best Producer, followed by a BRIT Award nomination in 2012.
They have collaborated with some of the biggest artists in the world, including the likes of CeeLo Green, Example and Dave Ball (The Grid). The duo also produced tracks on three of Rihanna’s albums - Rated R, Talk That Talk and Unapologetic.
Chase & Status are recognised worldwide and have performed and headlined at events such as Roskilde Festival, Reading Festival, Global Gathering, and the festival of all festivals, Royal Holloway Summer Ball 2017. We absolutely can’t wait to welcome them back to headline at Freshers’ Ball, along with MC Rage, who is a regular feature when it comes to their live performances and DJ sets.
Big Narstie
For one of our biggest nights at the Students’ Union, Flawless, we’ll have the pleasure of featuring British rapper and MC Tyrone Lindo, best known as Big Narstie. With a catalogue of awards, recognitions and even a TV show, Big Narstie will join us alongside DJ Cameo for an entire night of some good ol’ grime.
2007 was a year of full of achievements for 'Uncle Pain', which kickstarted with the record deal signing to independent label Dice Recordings. Not long after, Big Narstie had a major collaboration with Coldplay that became decisive for the success of his career. They created the track ‘Brushman’, which was named RWD magazine’s Song of the Year.
Following this, he entered at number five in the iTunes UK Hip Hop Chart with his first EP ‘#Pain’, won Best Grime Act at the Urban Music Awards two years running, and secured the highest selling grime EP of 2013 with his self-titled record.
Along with his music career, he’s also presented the first series of The Big Narstie Show on Channel 4, featuring guests like Ed Sheeran, Jonathan Ross, David Schwimmer, David Haye and Keith Lemon, with a second series on the way.
Two Door Cinema Club (DJ Set)
Freshers' Festival wouldn't be the same without an indie rock night and we're delighted to be joined by Two Door Cinema Club for a DJ set that will surely bring the house down.
Having formed in 2007, the band from County Down have since released tracks recognised all over the world including What You Know, which currently has over 72 million views on YouTube.
The band’s albums have all had their share of success. In 2010, Tourist History was selected for the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year, and reached the top 30 on indie album charts in England, Scotland and the United States. Beacon, their follow up released in 2012, debuted at number one on the Irish Albums Chart and reached number two in the UK Albums Chart. Gameshow hit number five on the UK Album Chart and reached number eight on the Billboard Top Alternative Albums Chart in 2016 while they have recently released their fourth album False Alarm.
They’ve had numerous nominations for NME awards, including Best Album, Best Live Band and Best British Band, and we’re incredibly excited to see their DJ set at the Students’ Union. It will be a night to remember!
Patrick Nazemi
It's time to pretend you're sipping cocktails by the Mediterranean as Ibiza Rocks' Patrick Nazemi supplies the pool party bangers!
Recognised all over the Balearic Islands for his great parties and instant connection with his audience, Nazemi is often referred to as one of the most promising up-and-coming DJs.
Nazemi has played at major festivals including Glastonbury, Reading Festival and Oxegen, and can boast sharing a stage and warming up for artists such as Calvin Harris, Clean Bandit, Disclosure, Ellie Goulding and Rudimental.
As a resident of Ibiza Rocks, Sankeys Ibiza, Mission Leeds, Beats By Dre and Brooklyn Zoo, Patrick Nazemi has an incredible passion for music and only wishes to share this with the rest of the world. But as he says, he is “a man with a passion to play good music to good people”.
Chris Taylor
MESSAGE!
If you're anything like us, you've already got Love Island withdrawal symptoms and you can't wait for 2020 to roll around for the new series.
But fear not, we've pulled some strings and managed to bag Chris Taylor for a meet and greet appearance at Medicine.
So get dressed up in your best island gear and head down for a huge night of partying (sorry, you'll have to supply the champagne yourselves!)
Sisters of RuPaul's Drag Race
CONDRAGULATIONS! You're invited to the sassiest night on campus as we're joined by three drag queens from Season 11 of RuPaul's Drag Race.
This year we're bringing a brand new night to the SU every Friday - POP! - where you can expect the cheesiest tunes all night along. We figured there would be no better way to launch it than by inviting Suga Cain, Scarlet Envy and Mercedes Iman Diamond along to give it all the sass and attitude it deserves!