FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Festival Number 6

**The worthy winner of Best New Festival at the 2012 Festival Awards, Festival Number 6 returns this year with an electrifying line-up that is sure to set the picturesque setting of Portmeirion alight.**

Returning from a two-year abstention from playing British gigs, Welsh rock trio **Manic Street Preachers** are set to top the bill: a booking that marks a kind of homecoming for the Manics. The album cover for their fifth studio record – _This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours_ – features a shot of the beach in Portmeirion, North Wales, where the festival is held, and their return in September will mark the anniversary of the record’s initial release in 1998.

Following the resounding critical acclaim that **James Blake** has enjoyed since the release of his eponymous debut in 2011, the electronic producer-cum-singer-songwriter has been announced as another act to headline this year’s festival. Manchester four-piece **Everything Everything** are another solid listing, and in the wake of the release of their outrageously good second album _Arc_, this surely is an act to get excited about, promising the euphoric and riotous passion that only fully crystallises during their live performances. Other exciting prospects include **I Am Kloot**, **Caitlin Rose**, **Chapel Club**, **Dutch Uncles**, and the rising soul star – already hotly tipped as the voice of 2013 – **Laura Mvula**.

For those even more electronically inclined, once your appetites have been whetted by the likes of **AlunaGeorge** and **Mount Kimbie**, **Festival Number 6** boasts an impressive selection of DJs, including **Greg Wilson**, a pioneer of British ’80s electro, and a specialist in disco, soul and funk, along with **Frankie Knuckles**, a legend of the Chicago house scene.

The entertainment doesn’t stop at music, however, as **Festival Number 6** provides a wealth of literary lectures, film screenings and stand-up performances to rival those of **Latitude**, featuring readings from punk poet **John Cooper Clarke** and Man Booker Prize winner **DBC Pierre**.

Pricier than many other small festivals, it may be, with Adult Weekend Camping starting at £170, but when it comes to **Festival Number 6**, you really do get what you pay for, as part of the package is most definitely the touristic experience of exploring the coastal village of Portmeirion. Aside from general camping, advertised festival accommodation includes charming cottages, providing festival-goers with the opportunity to truly experience life as a villager in this historical, scenic location. Built by the 20th century architect Sir Clough William-Ellis, the village evokes the aesthetic of Italian coastal settings, and the experience of visiting such an iconic site is surely what qualifies **Festival Number 6**’s self-advertisement as “a festival unlike any other, in a place like no other”.

It is plain to see that **Festival Number 6**’s claims to uniqueness are set to be further validated in 2013. With its quirky setting, comprehensive inclusion of musical genres and sumptuous array of cultural performances, it is surely apparent that the event’s success at last year’s Festival Awards was by no means unfounded, and its status is certain to grow this year.