Blackpool announces huge new music festival with seven major headliners

A brand new music festival bringing some of the UK's biggest guitar bands to Winter Gardens has been announced with more than 27 artists set to perform across seven headline events. Blackpool Live will take over the iconic venue during its first season, offering a packed programme of live music with a combined capacity of 17,500 across the shows.

The festival aims to bring major names back to one of Britain's most famous music venues, following in the footsteps of legendary acts including Jimi Hendrix and The Stone Roses who have performed there.

The first Blackpool Live line-up will feature headline performances from Feeder, The Fratellis, The Enemy, Cast, Doves, The Pigeon Detectives and Happy Mondays. They will be joined by other artists including The Futureheads, The Twang, The Lilacs, The Cheap Thrills, We Are Scientists, Alex Spencer, Shambolics, Sleeper, Echobelly, Pastel, The Slow Readers Club, IST IST, Bank Holiday, The Rifles, M60 ALRIGHT, Inspiral Carpets and Common Goldfish.

The idea came from founder Mark Lippmann's experience visiting the Winter Gardens for a gig. Mark travelled with 15 friends from Hazel Grove to watch Arctic Monkeys at the Empress Ballroom, turning the trip into a full day out in Blackpool. The group spent the afternoon at Pleasure Beach, explored the seafront, visited arcades and enjoyed fish and chips and beers.

Mark said: "People always ask what the best gig you've ever been to was, but when you think about it, you remember so much more than the band. You remember who you were with, what you did before the show and how the whole day felt. Blackpool is uniquely placed to create those experiences. You can jump on a train, spend the day by the sea and finish it watching incredible live music in one of Britain's most iconic venues."