Thousands of music lovers enjoy weekend to remember in Colne

The 33rd Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival was a huge success, as Colne welcomed thousands of people to the town over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

Festival goers were treated to an incredible weekend of live music, including three main venues and 13 Official Fringe venues.

Alongside the wonderful range of music, there was fun for all the family including street entertainers, food vendors, buskers, a funfair, facepainting and much more.

The weekend got underway with a breathtaking tribute to Blues legend Victor Brox on the Friday night, with stars from the Rhythm & Blues world coming together to honour a true great. The evening was headlined by Victor’s daughter, Kyla Brox, who put on a star studded performance of her own, performing alongside her friends, family and colleagues.

Over 50 artists performed across the three main stages, the Pendle Hippodrome, The Exchange Project Stage and new for this year, The Little Theatre Acoustic Stage, including headliners Kyla, Dom Martin and Matt Schofield, the latter of which closed this year’s festival with an incredible performance on Sunday evening.

Organised by Colne Town Council and the Colne Blues Society, and sponsored by Barnfield Construction, the festival had something for everyone, ranging from local talents Fruitless Forest to international stars such as Ian Siegal and The Cinelli Brothers.

The live music continued with The Official Fringe, which saw over 130 performances across 13 venues, showcasing the depth of talent in the Rhythm & Blues industry, as well as many local artists.

A real carnival atmosphere was felt throughout Colne, with shops, pubs and eateries packed throughout the weekend, with visitors encouraged to #ShopLocal.

With the streets bustling with visiting crowds, there was plenty of street entertainment on show, including the Mirror Men, Big Heads, Musical Ruth, busking tents, stilt walkers and much more.

Simon Shackleton, festival coordinator at Colne Blues Society, said: “Colne has done it yet again, what a tremendous weekend and one that has been a huge success.

“From the main venues and the Official Fringe venues, to our local shops, pubs and eateries, it has been another amazing community event, and one that we will remember fondly for years to come.

“The tribute to Victor Brox was absolutely remarkable and everyone who attended will be talking about that performance for many years.

“We would like to thank all our fantastic artists for their incredible performances over the weekend, and to our visitors and fans of the festival, thank you for supporting us once again.”

Nathan Cutler, Colne Town Council’s events officer, said: “The Blues festival is one of the best events in Colne and that has been proved once again.

“People have visited Colne in their thousands, and we hope everyone has thoroughly enjoyed themselves.”

For more reaction from this year’s event, visit www.bluesfestival.co.uk