Sam Fender is set to headline the Boardmasters festival.
The 29-year-old ‘Dead Boys’ singer – who shocked fans in 2022 when he announced he was cancelling a string of concerts to look after his mental health – was among the second set of artists announced on Thursday (01.02.24) who will be joining the five-day Cornwall event’s 2024 line-up.
Organisers announced Sam had signed up after his lyrics were recently spotted projected on the cliffs around the Cornish town of Newquay, sparking speculation he would be playing Boardmasters.
The singer – who made his Boardmasters debut a decade ago – joins headliners including Stormzy, Chase and Status (Live), Becky Hill, Bicep, Nia Archives, Tom Odell, Andy C and Eliza Rose, with festival bosses saying: “You guessed it… Sam Fender is coming to Boardmasters, this time securing headliner status exactly 10 years on from his Boardies debut in 2014 where he played The View stage.
“Sam then played Boardmasters’ Land of Saints stage in 2018, and having drawn one of the biggest crowds of the weekend, festival organisers added him to the main stage line-up as well.
“Today, the mystery is unravelled as Boardmasters confirm Sam and his band will be joining the stellar 2024 line-up following ‘Seventeen Going Under’ and other lyrics spotted on the Newquay cliffs.”
Located across two sites – Watergate Bay and Fistral Beach – Boardmasters will run from 7 to 11 August.
Sam said two years ago he was pulling out of a number of gigs as he was suffering “burn out” from touring.
He posted the announcement on Instagram, saying it would be “completely hypocritical” of him to advocate for discussion of the topic without looking after his mental wellbeing.
Sam added: “My friends and colleagues have been worried about me for a while.
“I’ve neglected myself for over a year now and haven’t dealt with things that have deeply affected me.
“It’s impossible to do this work on myself while on the road, and it’s exhausting feigning happiness and wellness for the sake of business. My friends and colleagues have been worried about me for a while and it’s not going to get better unless I take the time to do so.”
Highlights of Sam’s career so far have included a Glastonbury Pyramid Stage show and winning an Ivor Novello award for best song for the title track from his album ‘Seventeen Going Under’.