NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR LITFEST AHEAD OF FESTIVAL SECURING BRIT SCHOOL ALUMNI RISING STAR YOUNG ATHENA HEADLINE SHOW
- Sturge Mazzocchi
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
One unmissable artist, BRIT School Alumni, Mastercard Ambassador Alumni and Artist Accelerator Alumni and MOBO Unsung Certified Alumni artist Young Athena, whose body of work has already amassed almost half a million followers, one million YouTube views, airplay and national radio support across BBC 1Xtra and Capital Xtra, headlines LitFest’s Discover New Music Family Festival, now boasting national industry recognition.
Alongside its national recognition, LitFest has curated a lineup comprising 58 percent female and under-represented artists in partnership with Under The Radar, almost reversing a UK festival industry imbalance where 63 percent of acts are male artists or all-male bands, according to research highlighted by Mixmag.
LITFEST HEADLINER YOUNG ATHENA
MOVIE TRAILER
Credit: Emotive Frequency
A grassroots music festival run by volunteers from Litlington village football club, Litlington AFC, has received national recognition from the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), with the recognition arriving ahead of the festival securing one of the UK's most exciting independent artists as festival headliner. LitFest continues to gain momentum in the national independent festival music scene.
LitFest, held annually in Litlington near Royston, has been selected for the prestigious AIF Micro & Very Small Festivals Development Programme, a UK-wide initiative supporting independent festivals with a capacity of fewer than 2,000 people through mentoring, industry expertise and networking opportunities.
The AIF Micro & Very Small Festivals Development Programme is supported by LIVE Trust and funded through £1 pledges from thousands of promoters, artists, venues and industry professionals committed to supporting the future of grassroots live music and independent festivals.
As part of its selection, LitFest joins a UK-wide cohort of festivals identified by AIF and LIVE Trust as having strong potential for sustainable growth and long-term success.
Dedicated to discovering and supporting exceptional independent artists, LitFest has built its reputation around giving audiences the opportunity to experience breakthrough talent before wider industry recognition follows. The festival's ethos is simple: could you be watching the next George Ezra, James Bay, RAYE or Katy B? It is this commitment to new music discovery that sits at the heart of LitFest's latest headline announcement.
The recognition comes as LitFest prepares to welcome singer-songwriter Young Athena from London, a BRIT School Alumni, Mastercard Ambassador Alumni & Artist Accelerator Alumni, MOBO Unsung-Certified Alumni, who will perform as festival headliner this summer.
Her selection is no coincidence. It reflects everything the festival has set out to represent.
She has built her reputation through consistency, creativity, and an extraordinary commitment to live performance, with over two hundred live performances in just two years. Young Athena’s rise is palpable. She has performed at concert halls including Mastercard’s BRIT Awards Afterparty held at the Indigo O2, Latitude, BOXPARK, London Fashion Week, her sold-out Mastercard Presents: Young Athena Live to Vinyl solo show at Metropolis Studios, as well as UEFA Champions Festival in Trafalgar Square.
Young Athena's music draws inspiration from a variety of sources, including social issues, teenage love, coming-of-age experiences, internet culture, and personal self-discovery.
This is not a standard headline set, but a carefully curated performance built around narrative, movement and connection. A show designed to be felt as much as it is seen. You won’t just watch this; you will feel it.
Young Athena commented:
"LitFest is providing me with a platform to showcase my talent and art as an up-and-coming independent artist. But it’s more than that; it’s my first experience as the headliner. This kind of support is a true privilege and a moment I’ll never forget. I’m counting down the days and can’t wait to hit the stage and share this with everyone."
Credit: Emotive Frequency
Credit Under The Radar
Our partner, Under The Radar, whom we worked with to curate the lineup, champions female and under-represented voices across the UK. Through this partnership, we’ve curated a lineup comprising 58 percent female and under-represented artists, representing a significant shift from a UK festival landscape where 63 percent of acts are male artists or all-male bands, according to research highlighted by Mixmag.
Mixmag's analysis of major UK festival lineups highlights the scale of the shift, with LitFest's 58 percent female and under-represented lineup standing in stark contrast to an industry landscape where 63 percent of acts are male artists or all-male bands.
"Under The Radar's mission is closely linked to the festival representation statistics highlighted by Mixmag and has helped us set a new standard. I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved together this year, but we're not stopping there. LitFest is committed to going further next year and increasing the lineup to two-thirds female and under-represented artists, reaching 66% and going beyond reversing the industry imbalance," said Festival Director Sturge Mazzocchi.
"This isn't about ticking boxes. It's about discovering and championing exceptional artists who deserve to be heard. The quality of talent coming through these communities is extraordinary, and festivals have a responsibility to ensure audiences have the opportunity to discover it. If we want a more representative festival landscape, the industry needs examples of what can be achieved when discovery, opportunity and artistic quality are placed at the heart of programming."
Credit Mixmag
For LitFest Festival Director Sturge Mazzocchi, the three milestones represent a significant moment in the festival's journey.
"For LitFest to be selected by the Association of Independent Festivals for the Micro & Very Small Festivals Development Programme is a great achievement and recognition of what we've been building together over the last four years. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the artists, new and old, who have played LitFest, alongside our partners, sponsors and the LitFest team who make this happen each year.
From day one, LitFest has been about discovering and supporting exceptional independent artists. Young Athena personifies everything we commit to standing for in delivering to LitFest-goers: exceptional new music to discover, originality, work ethic, connection with audiences and a commitment to live performance. Alongside this, we're proud to have worked with Under The Radar to curate a lineup comprising 58 percent female and under-represented artists, helping ensure the festival reflects the breadth of talent emerging across the UK today."
LitFest 2025 Edition
Credit: The Ad Plain, David Comiskey, Art Director
Now entering its fifth year, LitFest has grown from a 3m x 3m gazebo, three artists and a single beer pump in 2021 into a nationally recognised independent festival platform supporting new independent artists from across the UK.
This year's lineup reflects that ambition, featuring artists with more than 100 million combined streams, support from BBC Radio, BBC Introducing, Capital Xtra, Kiss FM and Jazz FM, alongside performers who have toured internationally and shared billing with some of the UK's most recognised names in music.
The lineup includes Natalie Gray, a synthpop artist whose music has generated more than 75 million streams, Kiss FM featured DJ and homegrown talent DJ Richelle, Max Bianco, an indie/folk artist handpicked to tour with The Libertines and then Pete Doherty, Mabes with more than 38 million streams, and Emilia Anastazja, acclaimed by Jazz FM, alongside Rouue, Joe Clark, IM Collective, The Kid And I, Louis Smith and Kit, showcasing the very best in emerging indie, rock, soul, alt-pop, R&B, country, blues, electronic and alternative music.
LITFEST SUPERHERO LINEUP
SET TIMES
Built as a fundraiser for Litlington AFC, the festival is delivered by around 40 volunteers including players, committee members and supporters of the football club, working alongside many local businesses, sponsors and community partners.
Supported by eleven local, regional, and global sponsors and partner businesses, LitFest has grown through a collaborative approach that has helped strengthen community engagement, support local enterprise and create opportunities for regional brand visibility. As the festival has grown, so too have the relationships that continue to support it year after year.
OFFICIAL PARTNERS
Under The Radar - The Listing - One2One Recording - The Ad Plain
HEADLINER SPONSORS
RK Print - Alexander Green
STAGE SPONSORS
Ace Catering - Cambridge Wine Royston - Conacu Voyages - Litlington Village Store
EVENT SPONSOR
GPA Global
LitFest 2026 takes place on Saturday 18 July in Litlington, near Royston.
Tickets and further information are available at www.litfestlife.com.
Sources
Media Contact:
Sturge Mazzocchi, Festival Director, LitFest
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