Orange Tree return to Summer Sundae!

In the first of a series of non-musical announcements today, we are chuffed to announce the return of Orange Tree Bars to Summer Sundae.

This year Orange Tree will be setting up bars in the Main Arena and Village Area. You can expect their usual wide selection of reasonably priced ales and cocktails. We’ve had a preview of their plans for this year and we think you’re in for a treat!

Following the success of last year’s event, which saw 35 singers amateur singers who had never met before give a near professional performance to a packed out Efestivals Comedy Tent, the Summer Sundae Festival Choir is back! If you love singing and want to join in the fun all you have to do is buy your ticket to the weekend event then sign up.

Rehearsals take place on the Friday afternoon, Saturday lunch time and Sunday lunchtime, leading to a performance on the Sunday afternoon.

The choir is led by local voice practitioner Hannah Brine and is suitable for anyone with a love and interest in singing. Accompanying the choir is pianist George Aquah, who has performed with the likes of Gladys Knight and Kirk Franklin.

Hannah says:

“The Summer Sundae Festival Choir is open to anyone who enjoys singing and would like to say they have performed at Summer Sundae! You don't need to have sung with a group before or be able to read music, as all parts will be learnt during the rehearsals. We will be working on a handful of well known popular songs.”

Taking part is easy. Register by sending an email with your name, contact details, and a list of any previous singing experience to summersundaechoir@gmail.com. Places are limited to 50 singers, and you must have a ticket for the weekend event to take part.

The full comedy line-up plus our exciting new theme for 2011 and a host of other non-musical entertainments will be announced early next week. Watch this space for more details.

Further to the artists we announced over on our twitter this morning, we are also happy to reveal our day by day line ups:

Friday:

2:54 / ADMIRAL FALLOW / BETH JEANS HOUGHTON / BORN RUFFIANS/ BY THE RIVERS / CARAVAN PALACE / GIVERS / GRAHAM COXON / RAGHU DIXIT /SHONEN KNIFE / THE AGITATOR / THE BEES / THE MACCABEES / THE WHYBIRDS / TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS / UNCLE FRANK / VARIOUS CRUELTIES /WOLF PEOPLE

Saturday:

BELLOWHEAD / BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH / CHAPEL CLUB / DIONNE BROMFIELD / DIZRAELI AND THE SMALL GODS / FLASHGUNS / HHYMN/ I AM KLOOT / JIM JONES REVUE / KYLA LA GRANGE / LIAM BAILEY / LITTLE COMETS / MAMA ROSIN / NEWTON FAULKNER / PETE AND THE PIRATES / REEF / SHOWADDYWADDY / TEDDY THOMPSON / THE HEARTBREAKS / WILKO JOHNSON / YAAKS

Sunday:

BLOOD RED SHOES / CW STONEKING / DELTA MAID / DRY THE RIVER / DUTCH UNCLES / EXAMPLE / FACTORY FLOOR / JOHN COOPER CLARKE / KITTY DAISY AND LEWIS / MCFLY / SKINNY LISTER / THE ANTLERS / THE BLACK ATLANTIC / THE CUBAN BROTHERS / THE PHANTOM BAND / TOM BAXTER / YOUNG KNIVES

For more details check out our new information page, for tickets click here.

Due to a high demand for tickets over the weekend our website had a bit of a blip and it meant some of you had difficulties purchasing Early Bird tickets for the festival.

To ensure everyone has an opportunity to pick up a cheaper Early Bird ticket, we have extended the early bird offer until 9am on Wednesday 6th April. Please note that Early Bird tickets are £105. The ticket price will rise to £115 from Wednesday morning.

As announced on our Twitter this morning, we have added the following acts to the line up:

2:54

Admiral Fallow

Beth Jeans Houghton

Born Ruffians

By The Rivers

Caravan Palace

Chapel Club

Dionne Bromfield

Dutch Uncles

Example

GIVERS

I Am Kloot

Kyla La Grange

McFly

Reef

Shonen Knife

Showaddywaddy

The Agitator

The Heartbreaks

Uncle Frank

Wolf People

Cheaper Early Bird Tickets are available until Monday 4th April, buy now!

This year Summer Sundae has teamed up with Hotel Bell Tent to provide a glamping (glamourous camping to those who weren't aware) option to those of you who need to be looked after, pampered or are just too lazy to set up their own tent!

Hotel Bell Tent will be on hand this year to offer wonderful luxury camping accommodation that’s essentially just like staying in a Hotel - You just check in and check out, leaving all the hard work to them!

For more information see our information pages or the Hotel Bell Tent Website.

Fancy getting into Summer Sundae for free in exchange for a bit of volunteering? It's your lucky day!

We have just launched our volunteering recruitment pages and there are three types of jobs available:

• Litter-Picking
• Site Crew
• Stewarding

Please have a look at our volunteering page and read the descriptions and requirements carefully before you apply.

The weather has taken a turn for the good recently, hasn't it?

So good in fact that ice creams have been spotted in the Summer Sundae HQ today!

Before the brain freeze sets in though, we wanted to let you know that our next announcement of artists playing Summer Sundae will be on Thursday 31st March. Expect some clues to appear on our official Twitter and Facebook pages early next week!

Applications for regional bands to play at Summer Sundae Weekender 2011 are now closed. We've had hundreds of artists apply from all over the East Midlands, so the competition is stiff!

Successful applicants will be notified by the end of April, thank you to each and every band/singer/DJ that has applied for this year!

If you are from the East Midlands and fancy being in with a chance of being on the same bill as artists such as The Maccabees, you have until THIS Friday to apply!

We have received numerous, well actually hundreds of submissions already, but there is still time to submit your music.

Please see the Artist Submissions page for further information.