Shun Ryder among acts heading to Shrewsbury festival
Shaun Ryder and Black Grape will be playing a festival in Shrewsbury later this summer, it has been revealed.
The former Happy Mondays and I'm a Celebrity star has been named on the bill for the Heal Festival, which will take place at the West Mid Showground on July 31.
The festival will also feature TV celebrity DJ Tom Zanetti, Nathan Dawe, and Musical Youth's Kelvin Grant.
More artists are set to be announced ahead of the event.
Organisers said there will be food, art and attractions, as well as a health and wellbeing zone that will feature workshops, yoga and dance.
Profits are earmarked for local charities particularly hit by the pandemic, including an NHS organisation, COPE Mental health and the Rural Charity.
The overall project has come from the Lost Culture Festival, which was scheduled to happen last year but was scrapped due to Covid.
The Heal Festival will be its replacement.
Richard Clarke, spokesman for the organisers, said: "We began a project called Lost Culture in 2019 with hope to launch an event in 2020, but because of the Pandemic we had to postpone.
"The idea of the event is to promote social cohesion between all of our communities through a celebration of music and performance art, with lashings of health and wellbeing workshops and talks.
"As of late there has been too much division in our society, we need to celebrate what brings us together and what we have in common.
"With the lock down easing and the very visible need for all of us to reclaim some normality and begin to heal from this pandemic we decided to introduce some of our vision and develop 'Heal Festival' – with a proportion of any proceeds going towards a local NHS organisation, and to the charities that are working towards organising it.
"As whilst some of us have been on furlough, these guys have been working hard, risking themselves and effectively being our saviours in this dark period we have all endured."
Tickets cost £25 and people can sign up to register their interest at www.healfestival.co.uk
Organisers siad that in the event of Covid restrictions becoming too prohibitive tickets will remain valid for a postponed date.
Optional camping will also be available.
