Barclaycard Entertainment reveals biggest year of entertainment to date

Barclaycard announced as the new official Headline Partner of the Isle of Wight Festival and Latitude

• Barclaycard expands its presence across the UK’s most celebrated festivals this summer
  
• From the biggest names in music to upcoming talent, the partnership spans The Great Escape, Camp Bestival, Reading & Leeds, Wireless and many more festivals across the UK
  
• Building on its existing investment in up-and-coming talent and the music community, Barclaycard is also launching two bursary programmes to support emerging artists and food entrepreneurs
  
• Barclaycard’s will also once again be the headline sponsor of Capital’s Summertime Ball and Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball, as part of its partnership with Global

Barclaycard today announces that it will become the Headline Partner of two UK festival staples in 2023 as part of its partnership renewal with Live Nation UK – Barclaycard presents the Isle of Wight Festival and Barclaycard presents Latitude. The five-year extension also includes partnerships with festivals across all regions of the UK, from The Great Escape Festival, Download and Lytham Festival to Camp Bestival, Reading & Leeds and more.

The partnership sees the return of the Amp Stage, which will host a programme of secret sets at key festival sites. Fans will be given digital clues to guess the line-up in anticipation of the big reveal on the day. In addition, Barclaycard customers will have access to event pre-sales, on-site perks, and exclusive bars – cementing Barclaycard’s leading entertainment offering, dialling up live music moments and giving customers access to the country’s most popular live events all year round.

Barclaycard presents the Isle of Wight Festival – Headline Partner

Steeped in an extraordinary 54 years of heritage, June’s Isle of Wight Festival, one of the UK’s most important and acclaimed music events, has seen many legends take to the stage, including Jimi Hendrix’s first ever UK festival performance and David Bowie’s last. In 2023, the friendliest festival in the UK will bring top tier entertainment to the stage with headliners Pulp, George Ezra, The Chemical Brothers and Robbie Williams. From genre defining legends of rock and pop to electrifying new talent, the festival is one of the most renowned and revered in the summer calendar.

Barclaycard presents Latitude – Headline Partner

A weekend for everyone, award-winning Latitude is the definition of a performing arts festival. The biggest stars in music are joined by the most exciting new musical talent, and the UK’s most popular names in comedy and poetry, arts, culture, dance and wellness this July.

Returning as an official Partner for Download, Camp Bestival Dorset and Camp Bestival Shropshire, Barclaycard adds The Great Escape, The Great Escape First Fifty, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, The Piece Hall and Lytham Festival to its list of official partnerships, while also returning as Access Partner for Reading & Leeds and Wireless Festival, making 2023 Barclaycard’s biggest year of entertainment to date.

Barclaycard also announces the launch of two new bursary programmes as a part of its ongoing commitment to supporting people’s career development, whether they’re entrepreneurs, small business owners, or musicians. As live music and food go hand in hand for festival fans, the new programmes will focus on supporting emerging artists and up-and-coming chefs and caterers. The programme funds will be awarded annually to five artists and five emerging food businesses to help them adapt and prepare for their future as they transition into the next phase of their careers. Each recipient will receive funding, business advice and mentorship from the industry’s most experienced professionals. The artist programme will kick off at The Great Escape, the premier festival for new music, in May and the food programme will have its first presence at the Isle of Wight festival in June.

Dan Mathieson, Head of Sponsorship at Barclaycard, says: “We are delighted to be renewing our long-standing partnership with Live Nation, cementing our support for the UK’s incredible music scene, and giving our customers even more opportunities to benefit from using their Barclaycard. At the same time, I’m also really proud to be announcing two new community programmes that will help accelerate the music and food stars of the future.”

Caroline Giddings, Director, the Isle of Wight Festival, says: “We’re looking forward to working with the Barclaycard team to enhance the Isle of Wight Festival experience for our fans. Each year we look to take this historic festival to the next level and having the support of partners like Barclaycard allows us to do just that. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to the island in June.”

Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic, says: Partnering with Barclaycard across Latitude will add immense value to our incredibly vibrant festival and helps us meet our audience’s ever-improving standards. With this partnership, Barclaycard is supporting the arts, community and entrepreneurialism through new food and artist programmes – all of which are key themes for Latitude. We welcome them to the festival and look forward to the perks and surprises their team will share with our attendees onsite.

Jim Campling, President of Live Nation UK’s Partnership Division, says: “Barclaycard has been a huge supporter and champion of live music and a partner of Live Nation UK for over 15 years. This exciting new phase of our partnership will not only allow Barclaycard Entertainment to continue to engage their audiences and amplify the fan experience but will also enable us to work together to support the next generation of artists and inspirational food stars at the beginning of their careers.”

This year, Barclaycard’s exceptional entertainment offering will once again include the headline sponsorship of Capital’s Summertime Ball and Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball, as part of its partnership with Global, the Media and Entertainment group. Barclaycard Entertainment amps up events all year round. Live singing, shoulder-shimmying, drinks clinking – customers can enjoy all this and more, as Barclaycard amps up live entertainment with star-studded performances and refreshing discounts and perks, from presales to tickets for less.