Firestone Live: A line up of fresh talent

Firestone, the iconic tyre brand, is hitting the road again on a journey that will lead to All Points East Festival in London for the first time, bringing musicians and music lovers together.

Under the umbrella of Firestone Live, Firestone offers year-round live music experiences to all music lovers across Europe, putting emerging talent in the spotlight. The latest edition kicks off with stops at 8 major music festivals throughout Europe between May and September 2018, including London’s major summer festival All Points East at Victoria Park from May 25 to June 3. 

 
Firestone Live wants to treat all music lovers to a full year of fresh tracks, killer beats, feel-good bangers, and of course, future classics. And there’s no better way to do this than with live performances. It’s the next step in the Firestone music programme and promises to unleash local acts, up-and-comers and established musical talents from every genre.  
 
Firestone Live will also head to Drogheda in Ireland for Vantastival, where the Emerald Isle’s Battle of the Bands competition will feature, with the winning act headlining on Saturday June 2.

For years, Firestone has been a mainstay presence at major music festivals across Europe with the Firestone Stage hosting numerous emerging and well-known artists. And , Firestone is back again this year, hitting 8 major European festivals between May and September. 
 
The Firestone Live itinerary for 2018 includes a few new festivals as well as favourites from times gone by: All Points East (United Kingdom – May 25 to June 3); Vantastival (Ireland – June 1 to 3); Hurricane Festival (Germany – June  22 to 24); Open’er Festival (Poland, July 4 to 7); Bilbao BBK Live (Spain – July 12 to 14); Grøn (Denmark – July 19 to 22 & July 26 to 29); Rock en Seine (France – August 24 to 26); Home Festival (Italy – August 29 to September 2).
 
But these major festivals are just the tip of the iceberg. Delve a little deeper and you’ll discover there’s much more below the surface: the full itinerary of Firestone Live includes festivals but also secret Sofar by Firestone gigs that transform everyday spaces into venues for live music, local concerts and even talent shows. 
 
Firestone’s presence at All Points East will tie in with its grassroots Battle of the Bands competition, where Cardiff band Fire Fences beat more than 300 unsigned acts across the UK to prevail. 
 
Aside from winning more than £2,000 worth of Orange Amplification equipment and studio time worth £1,500, they will look forward to a performance on the Firestone Stage at All Points East on Friday June 1.
 
In addition, local artists, up-and-comers, undiscovered DJs, unsigned bands and new talents will be given the opportunity to hit the Firestone Stage at the big festivals mentioned above. 
 
There’s a reason why: ‘We want to accompany, support and assist them on their road to the main stage the same way our Firestone tyres support and assist drivers on the road,’ says Thierry Jupsin, Brands Marketing Director at Bridgestone Europe. ‘Just like the drivers, we want these acts to know they can rely on us as they travel along the road to success.’ 

Although Firestone is best known for its high-quality and reliable tyres, music is – and always has been – an integral part of its DNA. This dates back 90 years to when ‘The Voice of Firestone’ radio programme helped talented musicians to launch their careers. 
 
‘This is the new version,’ explains Thierry Jupsin. ‘Just like our tyres, our music programme has developed and evolved and now runs through the entire year. And, just like it was with ‘The Voice of Firestone’, the focus is once again on supporting emerging talent and enjoying live performances: talent shows in different countries and local concerts like ‘Ruta Firestone’ in Spain. ‘Firestone Live’, previously known as ‘Firestone Music Tour’, shows how we help music-lovers from different countries, ages and backgrounds to connect around authentic experiences, discover new music and have fun.’

Fun will certainly be on the menu at the Firestone booth in each of the festivals. In addition to the 70+ live performances expected on the Firestone Stage, festival-goers will get the chance to win Firestone goodies in a spin-the-tyre game and experiment with ink at a stand devoted to temporary tattoos. 
 
Take a look at the Firestone Live video to get a taste of what to expect, drop by the Firestone Live website for festival info and a full itinerary, and stay up to date by following #FirestoneLive.