Burnley Live 2024: Organisers want to take live music festival to the next level

The free four-day festival saw an incredible array of talented artists performing across town centre venues as thousands of people came down to support the event.

The Loom, Inn on the Wharf, Big Window, The Palazzo, The Swan, The Coal Yard, Penny Black, Hidden, Kestrel Suite, Little White Horse, Electric Circus, Smackwater Jacks all hosted acts, while Mojitos and Remedy funded a specially erected stage outside their premises in Ormerod Street.

The festival was part delivered by Discover Burnley in collaboration with Mojitos and Remedy, and forms part of a series of events and activities organised by Burnley Business Improvement District, with the organisation striving to boost footfall in Burnley and raise awareness of what the town has to offer.

Remedy owner Madge Nawaz, who started Burnley Live in 2019, said it showed what could be done when town centre businesses worked together.

"I’ve spoken to a couple of bar owners who have said they’ve had their busiest weekend ever. This has always been the aim of Burnley Live – to bring more people into our town centre, to support venues, and, of course, to support our fantastic local artists.

"This is only the beginning. Last year, outside Remedy and Mojitos, we had 2,500 people through the gates over two days. This year, we had more than 4,500 people, and for large parts we were having to operate a strict one-in, one-out policy. That shows that we have room to grow. We’ve already got a meeting planned in for next week to start looking ahead to 2025’s event. Ideally, we want more businesses to get involved, to help sponsor us, so we can put on another stage somewhere else in the town. Imagine if we could get 10,000, even 20,000 people coming out next year.”

Adam Wolski-Brown, who runs Mojitos, said: “What a weekend! So much hard work goes into putting on an event like this, but when you see many people out there enjoying themselves, it really does make it all worthwhile.

"We’d like to say a big thank you to all the bands, the venues, Lancashire PA for the sound, all the incredible bar staff and security guys, Kev Furber and Andy Ford for the photos and videos, Laura Diffey from Burnley BID, and finally, everyone, who came out to support the event. Thank you all so much.”

Crowds were also able to enjoy the ever-popular Artisan Market where dozens of local independent businesses showcased countless rows of unique handmade creations. Burnley Market stall holders’ ‘Festival Food for a Fiver’ deal also went down a treat with festival-goers, while Charter Walk was brought to life by the mesmerising tribal beats of Ta Tanka, Lewis Brindle’s soulful vocals, and an appearance from Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers.

Craig Smith, manager of the Swan, said in his two decades running the town centre pub he had never seen a weekend like it. "I’ve just about recovered, What a weekend that was! It was off the scale. Busiest weekend I've ever had, and I've been here over 20 years. Burnley was buzzing like the old days. It was great to see new people coming to see what Burnley has to offer.”

Manchester Road’s Inn on the Wharf was another venue that remained packed all weekend – Brian Parker, who runs the bar with Craig Elliott, said: “Burnley needs events like Burnley Live. That’s what our town is all about; fantastic venues, fantastic live music, and fantastic people.”

James Gibb, owner of the Little White Horse, said it was great to see so many people coming out earlier. "Burnley is always better when it’s busier during the afternoon and evening. We need more people coming out earlier, and events like Burnley Live really help with that.”

Georgia and Nithin, from the Loom, said it was pleasure to be part of an event that brought so many people together. “A special thank you to all of the Burnley Live team of organisers for such a well-planned weekend, and to all the other venues, bands and musicians for coming together to create something special in our town. Live music really does bring us all together, and we have loved seeing how much fun you’ve all had!”

Laura Diffey, Burnley BID project manager, said: “We were delighted to see so many people at Burnley Live which has firmly established itself as a must-attend event in the town! It was an incredibly busy weekend with a fantastic atmosphere and with dozens of acts and venues taking part, it really does demonstrate the benefit of working collectively as a town. We’re now excited to build on this year's success and look forward to making Burnley Live even bigger and better in the future.”