Foetus, Clock DVA and Test Dept Join Canterbury Shadowlands Roster

The newly established boutique music festival Shadowlands is scheduled to run from July 1 to July 4, 2027, in Canterbury, England. The event focuses on alternative, electronic, avant-garde, and experimental genres, with performances hosted across three spaces at the Gulbenkian Arts Centre on the University of Kent campus.

Co-founded by David Sefton, who previously directed artistic development at London’s Royal Festival Hall and South Bank Centre, the project is his first full UK festival launch since he initiated the Meltdown event in 1993. The festival is marketed under the phrase “The Outside Of Everything” and is structured around an initial ticket allocation of 450 passes. Early bird tickets are priced at £240, with options for a three-month payment plan. Accommodation on the university site becomes available for booking in September 2026.

The confirmed performance lineup features Foetus (read our interview with JG Thirlwell), a solo musical project established in London in 1981 by Australian singer, composer, and producer JG Thirlwell. For this appearance, which is framed as a European exclusive, Foetus will perform alongside a 20-piece chamber orchestra. The setlist is designated to include older material as well as tracks from the 2026 album HALT, released via Ectopic Ents. This performance marks Thirlwell’s first live appearance in the UK under the Foetus moniker in over 25 years, and represents the second instance where his music is arranged for a large orchestral format.

Additional scheduled artists include Lustmord, staging his first UK performance in 20 years, and Githead, a group consisting of Colin Newman of Wire, Malka Spiegel of Minimal Compact, and Robin Rimbaud, also known as Scanner. Githead is reforming for the event following a 13-year period of inactivity. The festival roster also lists Test Dept (read our interview with Test Dept), Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan, Regis featuring Liam Andrews, Clock DVA, The Wolfgang Press, hackedepicciotto (read our interview with hackedpicciotto), People Like Us, Portion Control, Shape Navigator (read our interview with Shape Navigator), and :Zoviet*France:. Organizer statements indicate that additional participating artists will be made public in August. Alongside the music schedule, the event itinerary includes panel discussions, public Q&As, and a dedicated film programme.

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