X Factor stars Union J to perform at new-look Telford festival

The two day festival will be kicked off with an 80s-themed night on Friday August 29 before Lawson and Union J take the Telford Town Park arena on Saturday August 30.

Up and coming British pop singer-songwriter Tich will also join the bands on Saturday.

Tickets go on sale at 10am tomorrow (Friday).

The festival is being organised by event management company the Liz Hobbs Group.

Commercial director Caroline Sheppard said: "Union J and Lawson are both top selling bands and it is really exciting to have them performing in Telford for this year's T-Live, which promises to be a fantastic event.

"We look forward to announcing further acts, including Friday night's headliner."

The line-up for the 80s night has not yet been released, but the organisers are promising an extravaganza of first class music which will straddle the decades.

London-based four piece Lawson released their first single in 2012 and have already had three top five hits and a top 10 debut album Chapman Square.

Chapman Square is the address of the flat where the foursome came together and where the majority of the songs were written.

The band has now had four sold out tours, including dates in Los Angeles and New York.

The band is named after a surgeon who performed an operation on lead singer and acoustic guitarist Andy Brown. The operation was an 18 hour marathon to remove a life threatening brain tumour, which led to him spending three months in hospital.

Union J, meanwhile, are hotly tipped to follow in the footsteps of other boy bands made famous by The X Factor talent show, such as JLS and One Direction.

They are working on their second studio album to follow up their eponymous debut, which was released on Sony Music following their fourth place in The X Factor 2012.

They have grown a gathering army of devoted fans – known as the "Jcats" - since their run on the ITV show.

Singer-songwriter Tich - real name Rachel Furner (CORR) - has just finished a 26-date support slot for James Arthur, as well as her own headline UK tour.

With two top 30 singles already, Tich is heading into the summer promoting her third single Breathe In Breathe Out with the help of the ever growing and hugely devoted Tichfam, her army of more than 100,000 Twitter followers.

Tickets for both nights go on sale at 10am tomorrow by calling the box office on 01952 382382 or online www.theplacetelford.com

They cost £35 for adults (£30 for Telford Loyalty Card holders), £30 (£25) for 11 to 16-year-olds, £15 for six to 10-year-olds and under fives free. A family ticket for two adults and two children or one adult and three children costs £99.

Essential companion for people with disabilities go free.

A weekend ticket for both nights costs £50 for adults, £40 for 11 to 16-year-olds, and £175 for a family.

TLC cards are available free from Telford & Wrekin leisure centres, libraries and First Points within Addenbrooke House and Wellington Civic and Leisure Centre.

• Read more about T-Live at Native Monster