A MUSIC festival boasting some of the country’s best tribute acts promises to be bigger than ever after announcing its line-up for 2025 to help make it the most successful yet.

Taking place on September 5 and 6 at Coronation Drive, Seaton Carew, organisers expect the Open Jar Tribute Festival is become a landmark event, with total ticket sales expected to surpass 25,000 since its inception three years ago.

Music fans are in for a treat with an impressive roster of tribute acts covering a wide range of genres – and the introduction of a dance tent for the first time too.

Friday night sets on the main stage will include performances by Scam Fender, Andrea As Dolly Parton, Foo Fighters GB, Subartic Monkeys, Coldplay It Again and Blondie Tribute.

And Saturday’s line-up is equally impressive, featuring Taylored Swift, Stacey Green as Pink, Ultimate Kylie, Copycat Killers, Rule the World (Take That), Joel as Elton John, Ohasis, Queen Greatest Hits, Hart Beatles and Adele Tribute.

For those who love to dance, a dedicated dance tent will be pumping out the tunes with sets from N-Trance DJ, Pitbull UK, So 90s Live, Lauren as Beyonce, Party Boppers, Jilted Generation as Prodigy, and Fatboy Tim.

Co-organiser Joe Franks said: “When we sell out this year, we will have hit 25,000 ticket sales in the first three years of the tribute festival.

"We never envisaged it would have blown up into the way it has. It took us by surprise.

“We would have originally been happy with 2,000 ticket sales a year and thought it would be a huge success.

"It all feels a bit surreal to think that when we were on the stage in September this year there were 5,000 people looking back at us on the Saturday and it was a bit of a pinch me moment.”

What started as a local idea has rapidly grown into a major attraction, drawing thousands of visitors from the area to Seaton Carew and boosting the area’s economy.

The Tribute Festival’s success story has been achieved alongside other successful events organised by Joe and his By The Sea Leisure business partners at the Seaton Carew site, including Clubland, Café Mambo, Soundwave, attracting over 22,000 people last year alone.

Exciting new elements at the Tribute Festival - sponsored by Steel Benders UK - include the second stage which will showcase even more talent and provide a more diverse musical experience.

The site will also feature a wider range of food vendors, fire breathers, fairground rides, and interactive activities, including some surprises, creating a truly immersive and engaging atmosphere for those at the event.

Joe added: “This all started out when I opened The Open Jar restaurant next door to the site.

“My business partners contacted me and said we should make something happen, combining all of our skillsets because we already had a foothold in the area. I never thought it would have turned into what it is today.”

With the Tribute Festival’s impressive line-ups secured, there are still various sponsorship opportunities available at that event and across the other events being promoted by By The Sea Leisure.

*Tickets for Open Jar Tribute Festival 2025 are on sale now at openjartributefest.co.uk