Bluedot Festival at Cheshire’s Jodrell Bank Observatory has added even more acts to its 2018 line-up.

Cult indie band Slowdive has joined the bill – which already includes The Chemical Brothers, The Flaming Lips and Future Islands – reuniting after parting way in the 1990s.

A leading name in the electronic and dance music worlds, George FitzGerald is also added to the line-up.

The brains behind one of the best dance music shows on the planet, Crazy P are also set to take over the decks this summer, and will no doubt have audiences up on their feetwith their infectious and eclectic blend of house, disco and soul, and party-starters Bugged Out (who have played host to Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers, Erol Alkan and more), are set to take over the Mission Control stage for an out of this world dance extravaganza.

Renowned for its unique programming, this year bluedot is proud to reveal that a handful of artists will be presenting bespoke concepts created especially for the festival - with funk and soul legend Craig Charles performing an explosive Space Funk Odyssey set on the Mission Control stage, while family favourite brass-and-bass dons Dub Pistols present their Outta Space DJ set, curated exclusively for bluedot 2018. On the culture side of the lineup, the wonderfully outrageous Scissor Sister and all-round superstar Ana Matronic will not only be taking to the decks over the weekend, but also hosting The Future Then panel talks - a series of one-off conversations inspired by the 50th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The Bluedot festival is held in the shadow of the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank, Cheshire

While Congolese guitar and Gambian kora will combine in Afriquoi’s dancefloor-friendly performance, and Ninja Tune’s Nabihah Iqbal will captivate with her propelling basslines and shimmering synths.

Other additions include other-wordly audio-visual experiences from Science in the House, live coding movement Algorave, rising stars Boy Azooga, the mysterious Cruel World, dreamers Plastic Mermaids, Brolin-collaborator Fwar, Warmduscher, Banana Hill DJs, Re-TROS, Amber Arcades, The Long Now, Little Cub, Cosmic Strip, Drahla, Tomorrow We Sail, Chaouche, Late Night Tales DJs, Outliers, Acid Mother’s Temple and many many more.

With science, art and culture at the heart of the bluedot experience, this year’s festival will act as a hub of awe-inspiring and educational talks, lectures and discussions for the whole family.

Announced today are Rick Edwards and Michael Brooks, who will bring a live version of their popular book Science(ish), while scholar and philosopher A.C. Grayling will explore big questions such as the meaning of life among incredible talks from Blast Theory artist Nick Tandavanitj, sound artist Jana Winderen, and lots lots more.

With bluedot dedicated to bringing amazing science to the masses, The Gadget Show’s Dallas Campbell will presents his hilarious ‘Ad Astra! - An Illustrated Guide to Leaving the Planet’ alongside physicist and broadcaster Professor Jim Al-Khalili, who asks the question ‘Does Life Need Quantum Mechanical? The emerging science of quantum biology’.

Slowdive

Also appearing over the bluedot weekend are Associate Director of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics Tim O’Brien, Tamsin Edwards (lecturer with the Open University in Environmental Sciences and a defining voice in the climate change debate), and Alice Eldridge (cellist, researcher and educator who brings her ‘Learning to Listen to Biodiversity’ to bluedot this year).

There will also be exceptional comedy from David O’Doherty, Cassetteboy, Simon Munnery, Gary Delaney, Jess Fostekew, Rob Kemp and more to come, plus exhibitions, art installations and much more.

In the shadow of the Lovell Telescope, one of the world’s most iconic research instruments, bluedot will explore the latest scientific discoveries from outer space and our planet.

There will be talks from world-class scientists and thinkers, discussion of key issues such as climate change and the exploration of space, combined with an opportunity to ask the Big Questions of leading researchers.

The full bluedot programme will be announced in the coming months.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit discoverthebluedot.com.