Young Americans to kick start June Festival

Yeeha! This year’s Gate to Southwell Festival will kick off with a wildly western theme on Thursday 6th June.

A host of top Americana acts will get the party started at Southwell Racecourse. Topping the first night bill will be Tex-Mexers Los Pacaminos featuring one of the great British vocalists Paul Young.

Supporting them, tall in the saddle, there’ll be the award-winning young Californian bluegrass band Blue Summit, featuring acclaimed female vocalist AJ Lee and guitarist Sullivan Tuttle, plus last year’s festival favourites Truckstop Honeymoon originally from New Orleans. Also returning will be rootsy rock & roll Californian Joshua Cook.

Building on the Americana vibe, Gate To Southwell will also be marking the 50th anniversary of the famous Woodstock Festival. In the style of past celebrations such as Dylan@75 and Summer Of Love, a specially created Woodstock ‘house’ band will be supplemented with a host of fine artists to perform many iconic songs from the ground-breaking ‘peace, love and music’ 1969 festival.

For four days in early June (6th to 9th) Southwell will present a perfectly eclectic mix of over 50 roots, world, acoustic and folk acts performing on four stages alongside comedy and ceilidhs.

Always a family friendly and fun festival, there will also be plenty of entertainment for the kids and youths alike, plus street theatre, craft fairs, poetry, great food and drink stalls and lots more!

Already announced headliners include Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys, Skipinnish, Nancy Kerr, Blue Rose Code, Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys plus Spanish stars Korrontzi and BOC. Also appearing are punk legends Otway & Barrett, Cajun-fired accordion from the Sarah Savoy Band, the vibrant young Welsh band Calan, Irish bluegrass from JigJam, 3 Daft Monkeys (acclaimed as one of the highlights of Glastonbury 2016 by Mark Radcliffe), Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar, protest singer Grace Petrie and Canadian folk-meets-bluegrass from Jessica Pearson & The East Wind.

With many more fine artists lined up for this brilliantly diverse, “incredible festival” (according to Cara Dillon), discount-priced Tier Two tickets are on sale now from www.gtsf.uk. For further information please call 01636 816678.