TWO free live days of music will take over Warrington town centre over the first May bank holiday.
Saturday, May 4 will see some of the biggest names of the north west Indie scene take to the stage from 6pm including Shaun Ryder’s Black Grape and The Farm.
They will be supported by Warrington band Fez while Manchester icon and DJ Clint Boon will be warming up the 3,000-strong crowd on the decks.
Then on the Sunday, May 5, more than 20 up-and-coming Warrington and north west bands will perform from 12pm until 11pm, headlined by electro funk stars Winachi Tribe and hosted by Dave Monks from BBC Introducing Merseyside.
Both events are free but tickets for the Saturday show will be available from 9am on Friday from the Golden Square Shopping Centre website.
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Steve Oates, who founded the festival, has teamed up with Golden Square and Warrington BID to host the event at the Old Fish Market in the centre of town.
He said: “I’m really pleased that we’re able to run the Warrington Music Festival again this year and that with the fantastic support of the Golden Square and the Warrington Bid we’ve been able to offer it again as a free event.
“Our main focus is, as always, supporting emerging talent from Warrington and across the north west and providing these musicians with a professional platform on which to promote their musical careers.
“We set the event up in 2007 and it’s easy to forget how far it has travelled since it was an afternoon party in Queens Gardens.
“Back then we dreamed about being able to develop and deliver an event where established headline artists shared the stage with bands and musicians from our area, performing to thousands of supporters.
“With the continued support of the Golden Square and now the additional recognition from the Warrington BID team, we’ve been able to make that ambition a reality again.
“The Old Market Place is a fantastic venue for live music. Rain or shine, we’re looking forward to two fantastic days of live music in Warrington town centre.”
Shaun Ryder has previously performed at Warrington Music Festival when his band The Happy Mondays headlined the 2013 event.
He reformed the alternative dance/rock group Black Grape after a two-decade absence in 2015 and the duo released their long awaited third album, Pop Voodoo, in 2017.
Liverpool’s The Farm had their heyday in the early 90s with top five single, All Together Now. They reformed in 2004 and have been playing together again live since.
Warrington’s own The Winachi Tribe have been recently making a name for themselves in the States.
They toured the East Coast twice last year for a series of gigs, industry showcases and media opportunities.
Frontman Liam Croker, a former Bridgewater High student, said: “We’ve spent the past 12 months touring the UK extensively, we’ve also took Winachi round the world twice with two tours of California and most recently in Italy.
“So it’s an amazing feeling to come back to our hometown to headline the Sunday of Warrington Music Festival – an event that has been a springboard for our career when we were starting off back in the day. There’s no place like home.”
Ian Cox, centre director of Golden Square Shopping Centre, said:
"It’s great to be able to partner with the Warrington BID for Warrington Music Festival and it’s going to make for a fantastic start to the bank holiday.
A previous Warrington Music Festival
“We’re thrilled to announce Black Grape as our Saturday headliner alongside The Farm, Fez and a DJ set from Clint Boon,” said Ian.
“With such a strong line-up on the first day of the festival we’re sure it will be really popular, and the free tickets will get snapped up quickly.
Shaun Ryder at a previous music festival appearance
“There are no tickets needed for Sunday and music lovers can come down to the centre and enjoy the festival for free,” Ian said. “There is always a great atmosphere at the Warrington Music Festival, and we can’t wait to see people enjoying the brilliant talent throughout the weekend.”
Dawn Smyth, Chair of the Warrington BID said “The Warrington BID are delighted to be involved with an event of this nature. It will bring visitors into the town from far and wide to not only enjoy the festival but also everything the town has to offer.
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“There are some really big acts lined up which once again shows Warrington’s draw when attracting performers. This is just the beginning of the events and festivals the BID will be looking to help deliver in Warrington over the coming months and years.”
The full Warrington Music Festival line-up for Saturday 4 May from 6pm is:
Shaun Ryder’s Black Grape
The Farm
Fez
Clint Boon
For free tickets click here.
The confirmed Warrington Music Festival line-up for Sunday 5 May with more to be announced is:
The Winachi Tribe
Kula Bay
Serratone
The Bid
The Lotts
The Racket
Hollow Vandals
Olly Thornton & The Shirts
La Scala
Crawlers
4ft Soldiers
Jack Woodward
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