Bridgnorth gears up for proper return of Music and Arts Festival after four years
One of Bridgnorth's largest events is set for a return next week as the annual Music and Arts Festival makes its first proper comeback after four years.
The event, which begins on Thursday, August 24, and goes on throughout the August bank holiday weekend, is expected to draw thousands to the town.
While the festival, in its present form, has been running in the town since 2010, the 2023 Bridgnorth and Music and Arts Festival will be the first full-scale event since 2019 after it had to be halted due to Covid.
Organiser Westley Bone, says preparations for the cultural extravaganza have gone well, with enough sponsors and volunteers having signed up to ensure the free town-wide event can go ahead.
He said: "This is the first full music and arts festival since before Covid and it is really exciting to see it come together.
"We have had lots of people offer help as volunteers, which has been crucial as this is a free event and 100 per cent volunteer-run.
"We also have some great sponsors including Buy-From Creative Agency from Bridgnorth who came aboard after seeing the last article on the festival in the Bridgnorth Journal and Shropshire Star, which we are so grateful for."
He added that two Carlsberg Marston;s pubs in the town, The White Lion Bridgnorth and The George, have also signed up as partners.
"Almost everybody in the town has got involved," said Westley. "It is such an expensive time at the moment, so to have such a big, fun and free event like this means people can come out and have a good time and it not cost them anything."
He added that with over the bank holiday weekend there will be dozens of bands on the High Street stage on Sunday and the Quayside stage on bank holiday Monday, as well as scores more playing in all the pubs around town.
On Saturday there are a series of events in the town's Castle Gardens, including a rock choir and a Mastermind-style quiz hosted by Bridgnorth's resident brainbox and a runner-up on the BBC show, Ben Spicer.
Appearing at the festival this year are are Irish rockers The Gulls, local young songwriter Macy O, as well as plenty of poetry, music workshops and other cultural activities that are taking place at various venues around the town from next Thursday.
Organisers are currently posting 5,000 leaflets to businesses and homes around the town to advertise the event but details can also be found at bridgnorthfestival.org.uk
