Last year saw the inaugural Kickstart Amiga show, a live event in the UK spearheaded by The Retro Hour's Ravi Abbott.
Attended by plenty of like-minded Commodore Amiga lovers, the show had hardware, software and special guests – and, by all accounts, went down a storm.
It has been confirmed that Kickstart is back this June with an even bigger two-day event, this time held in Notts County's Meadow Lane Stadium in Nottingham. 800 fans are expected to attend, and there will be trading and community areas, just like last year.
Keen to learn more, we spoke to Abbott about what the event will have in store for Amiga fans.
Time Extension: What was the feedback like for last year's event?
Ravi Abbott: The response has been overwhelmingly positive. It seems that an Amiga event of this scale in the UK was eagerly anticipated. Of course, there is always room for improvement. For example, getting the air conditioning fully fixed for this year's event will help, especially during the summer!
What's going to make this year's event even more special than the last one?
This year, we've gone all out with new traders, groups, and guests, and we're sticking to the same format as last year. However, we've gone the extra mile by securing an additional floor at the venue, which includes a new gaming space, stage area, and upgraded sound system and microphones for talks.
The Afterparty on Saturday is open to all video game music fans, not just Amiga enthusiasts. The event will take place at the Saltbox Bar, a new city centre venue. We're thrilled to announce that Rare's composer David Wise will be performing live. With incredible titles like Donkey Kong Country to his name, it's a show that no Nintendo fan should miss.
The evening will feature various acts leading up to a full-on rave with Pete Cannon, a Drum and Bass and Jungle DJ, culminating in the early hours. And who knows which special guests might turn up?
Is it true that more than one piece of Amiga hardware will be announced at this event?
One of the highlights of the old Amiga shows was the hardware announcements and the news they generated. We have spoken to many traders who are preparing to announce and publicly sell new products for the first time at the show. There are so many flavours of Amiga nowadays it's hard to keep up.
Can you tell us a little about the special guests you have attending, and why Amiga fans should be excited about them?
We are excited to announce that we will have a fantastic lineup of developers and creatives from the Amiga scene at our event. Some developers even join us just for a casual drink!
This year, we have talks scheduled from Stoo Cambridge, the former artist at Sensible Software known for Cannon Fodder and Sensible Soccer, and Tony Warriner from Revolution Software, famous for Beneath A Steel Sky and Lure Of The Temptress.
The event will be hosted by John Shawler, who will be flying in from the USA. Additionally, we are thrilled to share that there will be a live episode of the Amigos Podcast on stage with Mike Dailly, known for his work on Lemmings, GTA, and many other games at DMA Design.
Why do you think there's still so much interest in the Amiga in 2024?
The Amiga is a fun, creative system with a heart. Many people have fond memories of the system and the culture surrounding it. In recent years, the Amiga scene has grown with hardware releases and tons of software. The 'can do' attitude of Amiga users has helped grow the scene. Things like user groups, communities, and other events worldwide have helped bring it to its best place since the fall of Commodore.