UK’s Largest Seaside Cinema Screen to Showcase Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The sensational full line-up has been revealed for Lytham Festival 2016 with the announcement there is to be an additional evening of entertainment in the Main Lytham Green Arena on Wednesday August 3.

For the first time ever Lytham Festival will present the UK’s largest ever seaside outdoor cinema as audiences are invited to experience Star Wars: The Force Awakens on a massive 144sq m LED High Definition cinema screen.

Lytham Festival organisers Cuffe and Taylor have made the decision to add a fifth night of entertainment in the Main Proms Arena but wanted the extra event to offer something different to the more than 30 nights of live entertainment they are holding throughout the festival.

Presented by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the 7th Star Wars episode was released in December 2015 and is the highest grossing of all the Star Wars films and the third highest grossing movie of all time taking more than $2bn dollars at the Box Office.

Tickets to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens at Lytham Festival go on sale at 7pm Wednesday April 20 priced from £20.

In addition to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Lytham Festival has also announced live entertainment will also take place at Lowther Pavilion, the town’s Assembly Rooms, the Church Stage at St Cuthbert’s Church and Stage Too at Victory Hall and the RNLI Lifeboat Museum. And back by popular demand is two nights of open-air cinema at Lytham Hall.
Acts confirmed so far at Lowther Pavilion are the rapidly rising country duo The Shires, comedian and ventriloquist Nina Conti, former X-Factor winner Matt Cardle, high energy punk band The Dolls and Space, boyband Lawson and 80s synthpop band Heaven 17.
The Assembly Rooms will host the World Jazz Stage throughout the week of the festival featuring an eclectic mix of jazz, folk and world music including Off The Rails Big Band, Jeremiah Ferrari, Fire Beneath the Sea, Bugalu Foundation and Drop the Floor.  There will also be a series of drum and song-writing workshops.

In addition, there will be the art installation CounterpART. This will comprise of 12 art installations around Lytham presented by a group of local, regional, national and international artists. As well as providing a unique art programme across the town, CounterpART will give residents and visitors the opportunity to take part in visual art sessions at Lytham Assembly Rooms.

The Church Stage will feature live classical music throughout Lytham Festival including Heart of England String Quarter performing an array of classics from Viva Vivaldi to Viva La Vida and the Heart Of England Chamber Orchestra will perform Vivaldi’s Gloria and other Golden Classics.

There will also be a performance from Ferris & Milnes. This exciting duo are pianist Dominic Ferris and vocalist Martin Milnes who will perform an exciting showcase of comedy, music and song.

Stage Too at Victory Hall will see live music from X-Factor finalist Jake Quickenden, MOBO and Brit Award winner Lemar, Lancashire indie band The Lottery Winners, RnB and soul band MiC Lowry, rising Lancashire singer-songwriter Nathan Grisdale and indie pop and rock band Room 94.

For 2016 Lytham Hall’s outdoor picnic cinema will feature the cult classic musical comedy horror Rocky Horror Picture Show and to celebrate the life of the late David Bowie, firm favourite and adventure musical fantasy film Labyrinth will also be screened.

And for those who love something a little different the RNLI Lifeboat Museum will be the venue for some traditional sealife entertainment as The Shanty Crew present Echoes of the Sea.

Details of the full line-up for Lytham Festival come after organisers Cuffe and Taylor have already revealed Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Canadian rock giant Bryan Adams, The Village People, Bay City Rollers and musical theatre band Collabro are among those who will headline in the main Lytham Green Proms Arena.

Lytham Festival director Peter Taylor said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the entire line-up for Lytham Festival 2016 and to announce we are presenting Star Wars: The Force Awakens on the UK’s largest ever seaside outdoor cinema is magnificent.

“This is incredibly exciting for us as it is completely different to anything we have ever offered in the main Lytham Green Proms Arena but we are sure this will be a huge hit with both families and Star Wars fans from far and wide.

“In addition, to be announcing such high profile artists for all our other venues on the back of the internationally renowned musicians and performers we had already revealed for the Proms Arena is pretty pleasing to say the least.

“I and all the Lytham Festival team are confident that Lytham Festival 2016 really does offer something for everybody and with tickets to some events available from as little as £12 we hope that as many people as possible can come to Lytham and experience a fantastic array of live entertainment.”

Tickets are on sale to all Lytham Festival events now and more events will be announced in the coming weeks.

In addition, a Lytham Festival Box Office will open in Lytham Piazza from Sunday June 26.
For more details about all events at Lytham Festival 2016 go to www.lythamfestival.com 
Lytham Festival 2016 Line-Up (August 1-7)
 
Lytham Green Main Arena:

• Wednesday 3 – UK’s largest ever outdoor cinema screening of Star Wars – The Force Awakens
• Thursday 4 – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
• Friday 5 – Mix Tape featuring The Village People, Earth, Wind and Fire Experience, Bay City Rollers, Liberty X, Toploader, 911 and 5 Star
• Saturday 6 – Bryan Adams with support from Dunwells
• Sunday 7 – West End Proms featuring Lea Salonga, Ramin Karimloo, Collabro, Ruthie Henshall, Claire Sweeney, Jodie Prenger and Lucie Mae Sumner

Lowther Pavilion

• Monday 1 – Nina Conti
• Tuesday 2 – The Shires
• Wednesday 3 – The Dolls and Space
• Thursday 4 – Matt Cardle
• Friday 5 – Lawson
• Saturday 6 – TBC
• Sunday 7 – Heaven 17

Lytham Hall Outdoor Cinema

• Monday 1 – The Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Tuesday 2 – Labyrinth
• World Jazz Stage (Lytham Assembly Rooms)
• Monday 1 – Off The Rails Big Band
• Tuesday 2 – Local Jazz Night
• Wednesday 3 – Jeremiah Ferrari
• Thursday 4 – Bugalu Foundation
• Friday 5 – Fire Beneath the Sea
• Saturday 6 – Drum Workshop (daytime), Drop the Floor (evening)
• Sunday 7–  Song Writing Workshop

The Church Stage (St Cuthbert’s Church)

• Monday 1 – Ferris & Milnes
• Friday 5 – The Heart of England String Quarter perform from Viva Vivaldi to Viva La Vida
• Saturday 6 – Heart of England Chamber Orchestra Perform Vivaldi’s Gloria and other Golden Classics

Stage Too (Victory Hall at St Cuthbert’s Church)

• Monday 1 – Lemar
• Tuesday 2 – Jake Quickenden
• Wednesday 3 – The Lottery Winners with support from The Hummingbirds
• Thursday 4 – MiC Lowry
• Friday 5 – Nathan Grisdale
• Saturday 6 – Room 94

RNLI Lifeboat Museum

• Monday 1 – The Shanty Crew present Echoes of the Sea

More details www.lythamfestival.com