Preparations are well underway for the 2016 Lancaster Music Festival!

Applications from more than 250 local, national and international acts have been received and the Festival Team in conjunction with festivalgoers and venues are now working through these to pick the cream of the crop to entertain this year. Only the very top quality acts will join the already prodigious list of talent covering every conceivable genre imaginable from classical to punk, from singer/songwriter acoustic to international world music.

Running from 13-17th October, the award-winning festival will once again feature a main stage at Lancaster Castle together with venues large and small throughout the city. The 5-day event is free to festivalgoers, who can expect wall-to-wall entertainment from an eclectic variety of genres with at least one venue open 24 hours a day throughout the weekend.

Festival Coordinator, Ben Ruth says “Each year this festival has grown and grown. I can hardly believe we’re now in our 8th year and still breaking each previous year’s records. Last year over 50,000 attendees listened to 350 performances from nearly 200 acts over five days while injecting an estimated £1.7m into the local economy and breaking many venues’ previous beer selling records. Along with our sponsors, these sales help keep the festival free and ensures acts are properly paid. And all of this is done without recourse to public funds.

"One of the original aims of the festival was to highlight the quality, diversity and sheer quantity of live music in this small city. Many people who visit Lancaster for the first time during the festival regularly come back at other times to enjoy the city's thriving live music venues, architecture and stunning location and so we want to ultimately showcase Lancaster's music scene not just nationally but also internationally. Being invited to give a presentation about the festival at the International music Conference in Curitiba in Brazil later this month certainly suggests the international message is taking root."

Venues are presently being signed up to host live music throughout the long weekend. There are a number of new venues for this year including the Lancaster Brewery and the Cornerstone Community Café. For a second year running Lancaster Cricket Club, situated in the city, will again be offering camping facilities to visitors wanting a more authentic festival experience and is less than 10 minutes’ walk from Lancaster Castle which dominates the view from the pavilion.

2016 is bound to break records again so put the dates in your diary now – Lancaster’s Unofficial Bank Holiday. And (provided it’s safe and legal) don’t forget to take Monday off! You’ll be glad you did…

http://lancastermusicfestival.com/

General enquiries to: [email protected]

Please note: Music applications for 2016 are now closed.

FESTIVAL TESTIMONIALS:

“Absolutely wonderful, great diverse acts, fantastic atmosphere and it really showcased the talent Lancaster has!”

“The best and most organised festival I’ve ever been to”

“Something for everyone…Lancaster truly rocked!”

“The city walls of the castle are still rocking”

“Like a mini Edinburgh fest”
 
"Promotes the wealth of talent locally and internationally. Can't wait till next year already!”

“As good as Benidorm but with better beer!”
 
“Let’s face it…How many people can say they’ve experienced live music in a bank?”