Galaxy of stars at third festival (From Evesham Journal)

Galaxy of stars at third Upton Music Festival

9:00am Monday 20th August 2012 in News

THE third year of the Upton International Music Festival is fast approaching with a line-up from the 60s to the present day.

Fish Meadow will be awash with family friendly music and activities from Friday to Sunday, August 24-26.

Among the many highlights there will be the reformed 1970s British rockers Saxon complete with original members Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson performing as Oliver and Dawson’s Saxon.

Racey will hurtle through their smash hits of the 70s and 80s such as Some Girls, Lay Your Love On Me and Boy Oh Boy, while the Selecter and the Beat bring their 2-tone sensibilities and Mr Zip and the Jive Aces come fresh from success on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.

The second stage is new for 2012, offering local and fringe acts the chance to show off their talents to a packed crowd.

Once again local tradesmen and charities are being offered free space to trade at the festival in an attempt to further boost business in the riverside town.

A festival spokesman said: “We are over the moon with the high profile acts we have managed to book this year, it feels like the festival is really going forward and more big artists are wanting to be involved, which is very promising for the future. It can only get bigger and better.

“Upton is such a beautiful town, full of great small shops and businesses. Certainly more people should visit it.”

Other household names taking a place on the bill include Hazel O’Connor, Alvin Stardust, Doctor and the Medics, Mungo Jerry, the Mindbenders, Los Pacaminos featuring Paul Young, the Union Gap UK, the American Four Tops, the Fabulous Boogie Boys, Strange Doors, the Move, the Tygers of Pan Tang, the Ultimate Beatles, the Bravo Boys and Ray Lewis’s Drifters.

But the event is not only about music, there will also be a silent disco, fully licenced bar, river boat trips, children’s area and fun fair.

For more information go to uptonfestival.co.uk