Got the Glastonbury blues? Well, luckily another festival much closer to home, 40 minutes from Manchester city centre, in fact, is happening this weekend. Known as The Brit Fest, the new summer festival is a celebration of all things British (think music, food, drink, cars, sports and entertainment) taking over the 100-acre site of Ashley Hall Showground in Altrincham between Friday 5th and Sunday 7th July.
The festival features three days of performances from legendary chart-toppers and some of the best of British music acts, with the main stage headlined by Scouting for Girls on the opening night, Bonnie Tyler on Saturday evening, and Heather Small bringing the party to a thrilling close on Sunday night. The headliners will be joined by a programme filled with pop, rock, indie, soul, country, rap and musical theatre acts including Cast, Dodgy, The Feeling, Fleur East, Kim Wilde, Hot Chocolate, T’Pau, Nik Kershaw, Starsailor and Reef – with Saturday being a salute to the stars of the 1980s.
There is also a full programme of bands, choirs, DJs, solo acts, cover outfits, authors, wellness experts and motivational speakers on the site’s ABC+ Warranty Stage including M60, The Covasettes, Prose, Daisy Valentine, Megan Wyn and many more during the three-day event.
The Brit Fest is also promising a wide-ranging line-up of entertainment right across its festival site including unmissable attractions for thrill-seekers including a fun fair with the Big Wheel, family-friendly fun and relaxing activities for those who simply want to chill out. And, they will be showing the Euros quarter-final England game on Saturday.
Located within the Action Zone, you’ll find the Extreme Mountain Bike Show featuring five times British Champion and European Champion Danny Butler and his team in a nail-biting show of jaw dropping stunts and agility alongside classic car displays. Meanwhile the Village Green will offer a huge range of attractions and activities including the ABC+ Warranty Free Fall stunt tower, Civvy 2 Commando and Sol Cinema, a solar-powered vintage caravan showing classic British short films.
There is also the chance to meet players from Manchester Storm ice hockey team and try to shoot a puck past the goalie, and Altrincham Football Club will also be on hand challenging people to try and score a goal. Plus, legendary British Olympic ski jumper Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards will also be in attendance over the weekend ready to meet festival crowds.
Festival-goers can also enjoy comedy performances axe-throwing or more relaxing activities such as yoga sessions, reflexology, eco therapy and cacao, sound healing sessions, a sleep retreat, group relaxation and mixed movement groups sessions in the Mindful Meadow. And when it comes to keeping the kids occupied there will be craft activities, games, the Big Hat Tipi Children’s Cinema or they can enjoy learning about how to build a robot with Mark Haig of Gizmobots, who creates amazing and quirky robots from ‘found’ objects.
Hungry? Thirsty? The Taste Cheshire Village within the Village Green at The Brit Fest will be packed with dozens of local producers and retailers, while food outlets and bars will be stocked with your favourite alcoholic and soft drinks across the site. Tuck into a wide range of countries and cuisines, from Indian street food to Caribbean classics and freshly made pizzas to Cypriot halloumi fries, Greek street food, Spanish tapas, katsu noodles and handmade Japanese dumplings.
There is also a strong showing for traditional British fare including fish and chips, Cornish pasties, Cheshire cheese and sweet and savoury crumpets. Vegans and vegetarians will be well catered for across the site, plus there will be a wide selection of sweet treats on offer from cookie pies to churros, brownies to doughnuts.
Day tickets for The Brit Fest in Altrincham start from £67 plus booking fee and full Weekend Tickets from £165 plus booking fee. VIP options are available as well as camping, glamping and motorhome options, which are available from £20 per tent for the whole weekend. Find more information and tickets here.