New '˜feel' planned for Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival

This year there will be a few changes to the usual format to give the Festival a different feel, but there’s certainly no change in the quality, as there will be four days of the best Blues talent over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Festival spokesman Sue Madigan, said: “The Festival draws in thousands of music-lovers from all over the world, along with many more Pendle locals, and this year we want them to capture the global appeal of their town’s Blues Festival by getting involved and enjoying the atmosphere of this four day event.

“Many rallied their support for the Festival when it was under threat and we want to show our thanks by making it easier than ever for them to become a part of it.”

The big changes people will see will be at the International Stage and the British Stage.

Some of the biggest names in Blues music have graced the International Stage over the Festival’s 26-year history, and this year will be no exception. Festival favourites from years gone by will perform alongside some of the biggest stars on the international circuit.

When it comes to capturing the true spirit of the Blues in an intimate setting, nowhere offers a parallel to the extremely popular Acoustic Stage.

Year-on-year thousands of people pack themselves into one half of The Muni and year-on-year hundreds of people miss out due to its popularity.

This has been taken on board and for 2016 the Acoustic Stage will move into the much bigger setting of the International Stage in the form of Acoustic Afternoons. On Saturday and Sunday, between 2pm and 6-30pm, acoustic musicians will be able to perform to a much bigger audience; then the venue will revert back to the International Stage for the night, featuring an array of high calibre Blues talent the Festival is known for.

Friday night will remain the same and the music will finish at 6-30pm on Monday, following an afternoon of top-class international acts in order to end this 27th annual event on a high!

The Lesser Muni, which in previous years has acted as the Acoustic Stage, will be used to serve food and drink, with background music from buskers.

There will again be five official roadhouses for 2016: Colne Legion, Colne and Nelson RUFC, The Admiral Lord Rodney, The Crown Hotel and The Little Acoustic Stage at The Little Theatre.

Sue Madigan added: “We are really excited about the changes we are making and hope it will cater for a wider audience. We also have some exciting news about the British Stage to announce in the next few days, along with a confirmed line-up.”

Keep checking the website for latest news, line-ups and updates www.bluesfestival.co.uk