Takedown Festival & Tonic Rider Festival Announces Mental Health Support in 2023 Backstage Rider

TAKEDOWN FESTIVAL have announced that they will be teaming up with TONIC RIDER to provide mental health support for artists, crew and staff at this year's festival.

This unique collaboration will see Takedown become the first festival to offer such mental health charity resources backstage when it takes over Portsmouth Guildhall on Saturday 8th April.

The Tonic Rider team, who consist of mental health professionals with a background in the music industry, will be positioned in the green room offering information about their programme, and free resources, along with one-to-one support in a private space, if and when required. This will form part of Tonic Rider's expansion of the programme in 2023, which includes backstage support at festivals and gigs across the UK.

Tonic Rider is a programme created by the registered charity, Tonic Music for Mental Health ('Tonic'), with the aim of promoting good mental health in the music industry. The programme was launched in 2021 and consists of online training courses, support groups, taught workshops and one-to-one sessions exclusively for anyone working in the music industry.

Alongside the backstage support, Tonic will also provide their Never Mind the Stigma stand offering information and support to attendees at the festival. This will be positioned near the box office with Tonic t-shirts and merch available to purchase, with all proceeds funding the Never Mind the Stigma programme.

Jeordie Shenton, Tonic Rider Coordinator said "We are delighted to be offering mental health support to artists, crew and staff working at a music festival for the first time, and even more so, that it will be at Takedown Festival in Tonic's hometown of Portsmouth. Throughout 2023 we will be expanding our programme of backstage support and we are thankful to the Takedown team for providing this opportunity."

Sarah Harris, Festival Director said "Takedown is extremely proud to be working with Tonic Rider. The music industry is notoriously hard on its workers due to various different factors and the promotion of good mental health for artists, crew and staff is key to individuals thriving. We are very pleased to have resources backstage and for fans at Takedown 2023."

The South's fan and band favourite independent alternative rock and metal festival makes its return in 2023 with a mind-blowing line-up that screams "we're back!"

After a 7 year hiatus, the much-loved Takedown Festival has moved from its Southampton University roots to the larger venue, Portsmouth Guildhall, with an outdoor stage also being created to guarantee a full day of festival fun for Takedowners.

The electrifying line-up that will see over 30 bands perform across 5 stages, also includes heavy hitters of the rock and metal worlds Sleep Token, Skindred, Loathe, Jamie Lenman, Punk Rock Factory, InMe, Palm Reader, Our Hollow Our Home, As December Falls, CLTDRP, Fearless Vampire Killers, The Bottom Line, Seething Akira, Ithaca, Confessions of a Traitor and Dendera with many more acts still to be announced.

TAKEDOWN FESTIVAL 2023 LINE-UP

SKINDRED
SLEEP TOKEN
LOATHE
PUNK ROCK FACTORY
INME
JAMIE LENMAN
PALM READER
AS DECEMBER FALLS
SAINT AGNES
OUR HOLLOW OUR HOME
BOTTOM LINE
FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS
SEETHING AKIRA
CLT DRP
SLACKRR
RED METHOD
DENDERA
AUTUMN FIRES
FALSE HOPE FOR THE SAVAGE
SHELL BEACH
CHAOSBAY
BALANCE BREACH
CONSVMER
ELWOOD STRAY
SUNFALL
ITHACA
CONFESSIONS OF A TRAITOR
HEART OF A COWARD

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!