PICTURES: Bures Music Festival draws thousands to enjoy tunes in the sun
Crowds took along picnics, comfy blankets and chairs to lap up the lazy atmosphere, wonderful weather and great music at this year’s sell-out Bures Music Festival.
Organiser Marsha Moore said thousands of people went along and, for the first time, all the tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday’s shows sold out online.
“It was about as absolutely perfect as you could get. In the lead-up we pre-sold all 1,000 tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” she said.
“We couldn’t have asked for better weather, which can make or break an event like this. We had no complaints and there were lots of lovely comments from people on social media saying what a great time they’d had,” she added.
The 23rd annual festival kicked off on Wednesday night with a choral evening featuring the choir Funky Voices at St Mary’s Church in Bures.
On Thursday, it was jazz night – held at the church – featuring singers and musicians Larraine Odell, Harry Green, Jacqui Hicks and the Jazznights Trio formed of Roger Odell, founder member and drummer with 80s group Shakatak, Bernie Hodgkins on bass and Mike Gorman on piano.
Friday night featured The Bay Horse Boys, and blues legends Ian Siegal Band and Nine Below Zero.
On Saturday, on the village’s recreation ground, there were performances to raise the festival’s big top by B-Fest 2018 winner Uncommon Taste, Beergut 100, The D’ukes, Menglemoes, Slater, Funk 2K, The Long Run, Bon Giovi and tribute band Guns 2 Roses.
Sunday headliners were the ska-reggae collective the New Town Kings and performances during the day featured the Beer Valley Drifters, Face Furniture, The Iron Boot Scrapers, J.S. & the Lockerbillies, and soul and funk act Soul Kitchen.
The Bures Music Festival is a not-for-profit event, raising money for worthy causes including St Helena Hospice and Ferriers Barn day centre in Bures. It has raised more than £200,000 for charity since the first festival in 1997.
This year, organisers are still counting up the proceeds of the festival but hope to generate more money than ever before to support charitable organisations.
