The music of Nashville is coming to Cumbria with the first Carlisle Country Music Festival in May.
The event was due to be held last year, however, the lockdown provided organise of the event Nick Westgarth to have more time to develop a new weekend of Country Music.
The new three-day Carlisle Country Music Festival 2022 takes place from May 13 to May 15 and features some of the UK’s very best country acts
Nick said: “After a few frantic months of plotting and planning throughout the COVID-19 lockdown, the Carlisle Country Music Festival has finally become a reality.
“This new Carlisle festival is aiming high. It will be more in line with larger national events as opposed to the smaller, local country functions previously seen in and around Carlisle. It will, without doubt, be a special experience of live country music for any country fan.
“Until now Carlisle hasn’t been known as a stronghold of country music but this event could change all that while bringing the city in line with much of the rest of the UK already enjoying the groundswell of country popularity.
“Country has suddenly become the popular choice of new and old music lovers in the UK.
“The more contemporary sounds of modern country music have elevated the genre to a prime position in the music hierarchy on this side of the Atlantic.
“A growing army of fans in the UK has seen country go from corny to cool whilst shaking off the stigma of line dancing and the over-used standard tunes.
“The new popularity is heavily influenced by a modern country approach, an approach more aligned to the classic Nashville sound than anything else.
“The popularity is particularly evident in the UK, where millions of adults are now thought to listen to country; it’s a massive community in the UK and still growing.
The line-up includes Derby-based singer/songwriter Kezia Gill, Robbie Cavanagh and Backwoods Creek.
Tickets for the festival, which will be held at the Crown & Mitre Hotel in the city centre, are available for the whole weekend or a single day on the festival website www.carlislecountrymusicfestival.co.uk or call at the Crown & Mitre Hotel in Carlisle.
The full line-up for the first Carlisle Country Music Festival is:
- Backwoods Creek
- Danny McMahon
- Em/elle solo & band
- Gareth Nugent Band
- Gasoline & Matches with band
- Katee Kross & The Amberjacks
- Kezia Gill & Band
- Laura Evans Band
- Megan Louise Band
- Morganway
- Outlaw Orchestra
- Raintown
- Robbie Cavanagh & Band
- Robert Vincent
- Simon James and guests
- Stevie O’Connor Band
- Two Ways Home with full band
