MORE than 20,000 visitors and dozens of bands and artists across the globe will descend on Upton-upon-Severn for its renowned ‘Upton Blues Festival’ taking place this weekend.
Set to be biggest and best yet, the 2016 festival will feature acclaimed acts from America, Canada, Finland and France from Friday to Sunday in the beautiful town setting.
Dubbed the UK’s biggest and best free blues festival in the 2015 ‘British Blues Awards’, this year’s line-up covers the broadest blues spectrum including upbeat contemporary acts, swampy acoustic blues players, soul driven singers and technically gifted guitar players.
More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the three purpose-built stages, as well as 12 pubs and a boat club and more than 3,000 people are expected to stay at the festival’s camping ground.
For the first time this year, the festival will have its own dedicated FM radio station which will be aired across Worcestershire and Gloucestershire on 87.7FM, where listeners can enjoy interviews with artists and plenty of great music.
There will also be a wide range of food and drink available including a curry house, coffee shops, a fish and chip shop and food vendors such as ‘The Hungry Toad Burger Shack’ and ‘Dough on the Go’ wood fired pizzas.
Oliver Carpenter, chairman of the festival’s organising committee, said: “This year’s event will be exciting as the music and crowds will overwhelm the town.
“It’s a remarkable event and completely self funded. We’re now donating considerable sums of money to music education across Worcestershire and in Upton.
“There isn’t another festival of its type in the UK, where people come for the atmosphere rather than the bands.”
Toby Barelli, aka ‘King Size Slim’, who performed at last year’s festival added: “Upton doesn’t feel like your average blues festival. It’s this really big thing that everyone in the town is a part of. “The atmosphere is great and the crowds are fantastic.”
Visit www.uptonbluesfestival.org.uk for more information.
