The Outside-In festival brings stars like Pixie Lott and Lostprophets to the North-East. Viv Hardwick reports.

AONE-DAY ticket to the Outside-In Festival next Saturday allows 3,000 ticker-buyers access to multiple stages, five hours of non-stop chart topping music and the opportunity to see Pixie Lott, N-Dubz, Tinchy Stryder, Taio Cruz, Alphabeat, and Lostprophets.

Working with Generator, the music development agency based in Newcastle, means the event will also boast some of the best of the region’s emerging talent including Let’s Buy Happiness, Polarsets, Trev Gibb, Viva Festival goers are being encouraged to ignore the cold blast outside and turn up in their bikinis and Bermudas (free coat check provided) with the festival highlights set to be broadcast in early February on Channel 4’s: T4, 4Music and The Box TV channels.

Metro Radio will also be broadcasting live from the event and Gateshead College will be sponsoring one of the main stages.

The Outside-In Festival, organised by Whizz Kid Entertainment, The Sage Gateshead and Channel 4, is partnered by Northern Film and Media, One North East. It also forms part of NewcastleGateshead’s worldclass programme of festivals and events, developed by culture10. Funds raised by the event will be helping some of The Prince’s Trust’s charity initiatives in the North- East. Tickets are £38. Go to thesagegateshead.org or call 0191-443 4661. See also channel4.com/T4 and metroradio.co.uk Neil McCallum, head of T4 and Music, C4, says: “We’re delighted to be involved with the Outside-In Festival and to kick-start the new decade with a big, new event in the Channel 4 music calendar and one that looks set to start the New Year in spectacular style.

“It’s the first time we’ve partnered a show of this kind in the North-East and we look forward to working with all the various partners to make the first ever Outside-In Festival a huge success.”

Malcolm Gerrie, chief executive of Whizz Kid Entertainment, says: “It’s always exciting to create a new event of this calibre, but to be able to bring it home to the North-Eeast and to The Sage Gateshead is really special.”

Ros Rigby, performance programme director, The Sage Gateshead, adds: “The Sage Gateshead is ideal for festivals of all kinds, and with its spectacular glazed Concourse overlooking the River Tyne, we’re also able to bring the outside in.”

Tom Harvey, chief executive Northern Film and Media, says: “It is great to see a music show produced in Newcastle on national screens again. Our North East Content Fund is really helping to bring production back to the North-East.”

Carol Bell, head of programme development for Culture 10 at Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, says: “We are committed to building on the festivals offer for young people in the North East.

“ The festival is a fantastic addition to the calendar and we hope to work with our partners at Whizz Kid and Channel 4 to continue to host the festival at The Sage Gateshead in the coming years.”