Happy Mondays' Bez at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Shaun Ryder’s Madchester heroes closed the main stage at Knebworth Park on Saturday night.
Our photographer Kevin Richards was there to capture the scenes, as well as crowd-pleasing sets from the likes of Dodgy, Toploader, Peter Hook & The Light, The Lightning Seeds and Feeder. You can see Kevin’s pictures here.
The premiere of Britpop Classical opened the main stage in the grounds Knebworth House on Saturday with guest vocalists performing Britpop hits backed by a full orchestra.
Republica’s Saffron had the honour of kicking off Britpop Classical with Ready to Go before The Farm’s Peter Hooton performed All Together Now.
Shaun and Bez of Happy Mondays at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Covers of Manic Street Preachers’ A Design for Life, Oasis anthem Don’t Look Back in Anger, Radiohead hit Creep and The Verve classic Bitter Sweet Symphony followed.
Heaven 17 singer Glenn Gregory had to restart his version of Pulp’s Common People after messing up the intro, before ex-EastEnders and Quadrophenia star Phil Daniels came on stage to perform Blur hit Parklife. Or should that be Knebworth Parklife?
Toploader singer Joe Washbourn had the afternoon audience Dancing in the Moonlight on a gloriously sunny September day.
The band also performed hit Achilles Heel and a cover of Genesis’ That’s All in their set.
Happy Mondays at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy’s enjoyable Cool Britannia set predictably contained signature tunes Staying Out for the Summer and Good Enough, before legendary bassist Peter Hook performed Joy Division and New Order hits with his new band The Light.
For those of a certain age, it was a delight to hear Joy Division tracks Digital, She’s Lost Control and Transmission followed by New Order singles Ceremony, Blue Monday, Temptation, Regret and True Faith.
Hooky finished his set with Joy Division classic Love Will Tear Us Apart.
Lucky fans of The Lightning Seeds enjoyed The Life of Riley before Feeder returned to the Knebworth stage, having previously played the first Sonisphere Festival at the Hertfordshire stately home back in 2009.
Happy Mondays backstage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Acknowledging they are not technically a Britpop group but more a rock act, frontman Grant Nicholas and bass guitarist Taka Hirose played the band’s biggest hits, including crowd favourites Buck Rogers and Seven Days in the Sun.
And the Welsh-Japanese rockers’ set even got the father of Knebworth House’s current custodian Henry Lytton Cobbold out of his wheelchair and dancing with his carer to Lost & Found.
The Happy Mondays rounded off a successful first full day of music on the main stage at the 1990s-themed festival with a set that recalled the heady days of the Hacienda.
With the maracas-shaking dancer Bez and vocalist Rowetta joining Shaun Ryder on stage, the Mondays opened their set with hit singles Loose Fit and Kinky Afro from seminal album Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches.
Feeder at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia’s first headliners also delved into their 1980s material, playing Hallelujah and 24 Hour Party People, before finishing with their biggest-selling hit, Step On.
They returned for an encore of Wrote for Luck.
Meanwhile, the Cool Britannia party continued into the early hours over in the Ministry of Sound Big Top, with Angie Brown and Jazzie B among the acts in the tent.
The Cool Britannia sing along with Feeder at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
A large crowd for Feeder at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Feeder at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Feeder's Grant Nicholas at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Saffron (Republica) at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Saffron (Republica) sings for the Britpop Classical at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Peter Hooton at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Knebworth Parklife! Phil Daniels at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Phil Daniels at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Phil Daniels at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17 at Cool Britannia Festival 2018 as part of Britpop Classical. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Glenn Gregory and Phil Daniels at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
The Britpop Classical singers at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Festival founder David Heartfield backstage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Toploader at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Toploader's Joe Washbourn at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Peter Hook at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Peter Hook at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Former New Order and Joy Division bassist Peter Hook at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Peter Hook at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Peter Hook and The Light at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
The Lightning Seeds at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
The Lightning Seeds at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Feeder at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Feeder at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Happy Mondays at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Happy Mondays' Shaun Ryder at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Shaun Ryder of Happy Mondays at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Happy Mondays fans at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Rowetta with Happy Mondays at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Happy Mondays at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Angie Brown at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Jazzie B at the Ministry of Sound stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Jazzie B at the Ministry of Sound stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Britpop Classical at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Saffron sings for Britpop Classical at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Peter Hooton and Britpop Classical at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Britpop Classical at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Phil Daniels and Britpop Classical sing Parklife at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Festival creator David Heartfield talks about Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Promoter David Heartfield at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Alan Davies interviews Phil Daniels at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Phil Daniels, Saffron, Glenn Gregory and Peter Hooton at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Phil Daniels, Saffron, Glenn Gregory and Peter Hooton at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Phil Daniels, Saffron, Glenn Gregory and Peter Hooton at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Phil Daniels, Saffron, Glenn Gregory and Peter Hooton at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Toploader at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Toploader at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Toploader at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
VIP view of the Main Stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
VIP area at Cool Britannia Festival 2018 at Knebworth. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Main Stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018 at Knebworth Park. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Plenty of food at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Main Stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Flying the flag at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Children play in their own Big Top at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Children play in their own Big Top at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy on the main stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy on the main stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy on the main stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy on the main stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy on the main stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dodgy at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Relaxing at the Barn Stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
The Ministry of Sound Big Top in the background of the main stage crowd at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
VIP entrance and bar at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
VIP area at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Even the youngest ones enjoy Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Feeder photocall at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Feeder'sTaka Hirose and Grant Nicholas at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
The Lightning Seeds backstage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
The Lightning Seeds backstage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Ricky Wilde shares memories with Rocky chief of security, backstage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
The Lightning Seeds at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
The Lightning Seeds at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
The Lightning Seeds at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
The Lightning Seeds at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Peter Hook relaxing in the green room at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Peter Hook relaxing in the green room at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Peter Hook relaxing backstage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Rachel taking advantage of the Cool Britannia couch at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Adam Issac Duo at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Fans of Adam Issac Duo at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Yummy food at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Gary and family enjoy Saturday at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Fun for the kiddies at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Funtastic play area for kids young and old at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Giant bubbles at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Giant bubbles at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Giant bubbles at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Feeder's Taka Hirose at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Dusk at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Feeder at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Bez and the Happy Mondays backstage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Shaun Ryder about to hit the stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Shaun Ryder of The Happy Mondays at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Happy Mondays fans at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Happy Mondays at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Happy Mondays at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Angie Brown and John Spencer on the Ministry of Sound stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Angie Brown on the Ministry of Sound stage at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Angie Brown at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Angie Brown and Jazzie B at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
Angie Brown at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
A not so quiet beer at Cool Britannia Festival 2018. Picture: KEVIN RICHARDS (Image: ©2018 Kevin Richards - all rights reserved)
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