Upton Blues Festival
Upton Blues Festival | |
---|---|
Genre | Blues |
Dates | Third weekend in July (3 days) |
Location(s) | Upton-on-Severn, Worcestershire, England |
Years active | 2001 – present |
The Upton Blues Festival is an annual blues festival, centred on Upton-on-Severn in Worcestershire. Formed in 2001, the festival aims to support blues music in Upton, and support the local community.
History
Formed in 2001, seven local people each put £10 each to create a basic fund. Now one of the largest festivals in Worcestershire and the middle River Severn area. Alongside the music, the committee arranges art classes and displays. Every Sunday, the festival embraces the local churches with a Gospel choir service, and a Sunday lunch held at the vicarage.
The festival was heavily affected by the 2007 United Kingdom floods.[1] Despite the weather and funding issues the festival continued in 2008 and has grown rapidly since then. It now has three main stages and nine pub venues with over 100 gigs throughout the weekend, swamping this lovely riverside town with people and music.
Nominated in the UK Festivals Awards in 2012 this volunteer run festival was up against the biggest professional festivals in the country.
As of 2016 LR Blues (Provided by Longside Radio) will be broadcasting live on 87.7Mhz FM and on the internet for the duration of the festival. Upton Blues Festival is now a Registered Charity. It is fully self funding (without major sponsorship or public funding) independent festival generating over £300,000 revenue for the town.
See also
References
- ↑ "Upton Blues Festival 2007". Early Blues. 2007-07-22. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
External links
- Upton Blues Festival website
- Media related to Upton Blues Festival at Wikimedia Commons