Free music festival comes to Oldham

LIVE launch . . . council leader Jean Stretton and Matt Ramsbottom (Revolution 96.2)

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A SPECTACULAR free entertainment and music festival is to take place in Oldham town centre.

Chart toppers set to perform at the first ever "Oldham Live" event in Parliament Square include headline act The Farm, hitmakers Stooshe, Kelly Llorenna from N-Trance, a Clint Boon DJ set and Eighties favourites Brother Beyond.

Oldham Council and Revolution 96.2 have teamed together to put on the packed day of family fun offering something for all ages and tastes on Saturday, September 9.

Pirate-themed fun kickstarts the festival with kids' favourite Gemma Hunt, aka Gem from CBeebies' "Swashbuckle", headlining a family show featuring entertainers and puppet shows starting at the top of each hour from noon until 4pm.

The music then gets under way at 6pm with acts performing on the Oldham Live stage under the Parliament Square owls.

Oldham Council leader Jean Stretton said: "It's so exciting to reveal our plans.

"This festival will plug a gap in Oldham's entertainment offer and it's great news for residents, families, music lovers, visitors and town centre traders.

"We've got some brilliant local live music venues and events but the new Parliament Square gives us the chance to deliver something extra. This is a festival with a line-up of established acts and entertainment where families can have fun and enjoy some of the best-selling artists of recent years ­- and all for free.

"We're working with Revolution 96.2 doing our bit to promote Oldham and to give families a top day out. Your bit is to simply come along, enjoy yourselves, spread the word and help to give our local economy a real boost on the day."

Revolution 96.2 DJs Elliot Eastwick and Dave Sweetmore will lead the Parliament Square crowds through the event.

Matt Ramsbottom, managing director at Revolution 96.2, said: "This is brilliant news for Oldham ­- a real first for the town centre and we're excited to be making this happen.

"There's going to be something on offer for everyone and that's very deliberate.

"The pirate-themed kids' show is bound to be a real hit and great fun, and we've tried hard with the music line-up to suit all kinds of tastes."

Town centre businesses are encouraged to capitalise on the festival and promote special offers for the day using the #OldhamLIVE hashtag on social media. Anyone interested in sponsorship opportunities should contact Matt Ramsbottom on 0161-621 6500 or email matt@revolution962.com.

Oldham Live falls on the final day of the Your Oldham Festival which aims to celebrate and showcase the fantastic co-operative activities happening across our borough.

From 10am to 2pm on the same day families can enjoy the Your Future event at Oldham Library where there will be a host of activities based around imagining an Oldham of the Future. To book tickets and guarantee your place for some Galactic Knight Training or a Princess Singalong, visit www.youroldham.coop.

Full event timings and information on other arrangements for #OldhamLIVE will be released in the run-up to September 9.



ACTS performing at the first ever Oldham Live include:

* The Farm ­- famous for hits such as "Groovy Train", "Stepping Stone" and the anthemic "All Together Now" - are the headline act on the evening bill.

* First up for Eighties and pop lovers is Nathan Moore from boyband Brother Beyond who counts "The Harder I Try", "He Ain't No Competition" and "Be My Twin" among his UK chart hits.

* Oldham-raised Kelly Llorenna of Eurodance act N-Trance is the vocalist on huge tunes like "Set You Free" ­- the biggest-selling dance single of 1995 ­- plus "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" and "True Love Never Dies".

* Oldham-born Clint Boon of the Inspiral Carpets will be serving up one of his legendary DJ sets guaranteed to get Parliament Square and the "Boon Army" bouncing.

* The penultimate act is urban UK girl band Stooshe. The Brit and MOBO-award nominees have enjoyed top five UK hits in recent years with "Black Heart" and "Love Me", plus hits like "Waterfalls" and "Slip" ­- all delivered in their inimitable urban and carefree blend of pop, R&B and soul.