Nottinghamshire venue for the Big Fake

Nottinghamshire’s Thoresby Park is the setting for one of the biggest gatherings of “fake” bands seen in the UK, with The Big Fake Festival bringing 24 unreal acts together for three days of the nation’s favourite hits from 30 August to 1 September 2019. The conclusion to a summer of “Fake Festivals” across the country,…

Cardiff turning Inside Out

Cardiff will be turned inside out again this year, but it’ll be happening a bit earlier in 2019 and for two days instead of one. Returning to Cardiff’s Bute Park for a fourth year, Inside Out Festival will run from 31 May to 1 June rather than in September and for the first time it’s…

Merthyr Rising to revolutionary mix

Now in its fifth year, Merthyr Rising stands out amongst the crowd of music festivals that take place throughout the year in the UK because of the events in 1831 that inspired it and the ideals it now serves to promote. A music, arts and ideas festival that celebrates working-class culture and community strength, the…

Devauden celebrates 10th year

A family-friendly event set in the heart of Monmouthshire, Devauden Festival will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year and organisers have big plans for Chepstow’s little music festival. Taking place across three stages in the middle of May, it will feature some of the best local talent from across South Wales and the surrounding area…

Blues on the boil in York

Bringing together 10 of the finest blues acts from across the region, York Blues Festival takes place at The Crescent on 6 April 2019. Organised by York-based DC Blues, the festival is raising money for their chosen charity, Charlies-Angel-Centre Foundation, which supports bereaved parents and families. DC Blues have been playing their take on “the…

X Factor auditions underway for 2019

The X Factor Live Tour 2019 begins in Nottingham this week, with the stars of the 2018 series Dalton Harris, Scarlett Lee, Anthony Russell, Danny Tetley, Acacia & Aaliyah, Brendan Murray, Shan Ako and Bella Penfold going on the road to venues across the UK and Ireland until 6 March. And if the sight of…

X Factor goes out on the road

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s no doubting that the X Factor has huge appeal and has launched the careers of many talented artists who would otherwise never have had the opportunity to live their dreams. In 2018 Dalton Harris, Scarlett Lee, Anthony Russell, Danny Tetley, Acacia & Aaliyah, Brendan Murray, Shan Ako…

Festival leaves ska on London

Among the lineup for London International Ska Festival 2019 are an unlikely group of Italian lovelies from Bologna who have a rocksteady grip on reggae and roots rhythms that would bring rays of Jamaican sunshine to even the darkest fog-filled London haze. A 10-piece female big band with a shared love of beer and Jamaican…

Manchester goes punk for Easter

Heading into its fifth year, the Manchester Punk Festival takes place over Easter weekend and features some of the best bands currently bashing about on the UK and international punk circuit. Organised in tandem by TNS Records, Anarchistic Undertones and Moving North… the event is a three-day, multi-venue festival that takes place from 19-21 April…

Stockton in ale and arty spirit

A cocktail of music, comedy and ale, lots of ale, comes to Stockton at the end of February when the annual Ale and Arty Beer Festival clocks into the ARC from 28 February to 2 March. Offering more than 80 real ales, ciders and perries, the CAMRA-organised festival has a broad selection of quality beers…