Bedale gets in tune for first major music festival

Local musicians have worked for months to bring together the line-up for the Bedale Acoustic Music Festival which is being held from Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2. 

The event is being sponsored by local brewery T & R Theakston, and will feature artists such as Bob Fox, who has recently completed a stint in the West End production of War Horse, slide guitarist Dave Kelly of the Blues Band, singer-songwriter Henry Priestman and Simon McBride, from Northern Ireland.

John Knighton, of BAMfest, who runs the Bedale Acoustic Music Club said: “We are really keen to bring people to Bedale and see what our town and its surrounding countryside has to offer.

"We have three days of great music in fantastic venues and a town centre campsite which is just brilliant.

"Bedale is a small, friendly market town with lots of interesting shops, pubs and cafes. And we have the wonderful Yorkshire Dales on our doorstep. We are really excited how it is all coming together.

“We have tried to come up with a varied line-up to include music from a across the acoustic spectrum.”

Concerts are being held across the town in Bedale Hall, the Riverside Club, the Three Coopers, the White Bear and the Green Dragon pubs.

There will be special free concerts in the Culture Shack youth centre at Bedale High School, in care homes and in the streets with buskers and traditional dancers.

The festival campsite is at the Big Sheep and Little Cow centre on the edge of town which will host the festival bar and office, musicians will be performing and a ceilidh is being held on Saturday night.

Wensleydale railway will be running special music trains, and on Sunday morning a festival service is being held in Bedale Methodist Church.

Mr Knighton added: “Our aim at the start was to bring music to as many people as possible. I think we have succeeded, we believe there is something for everyone.”

For more details and booking information go to www.bamfest.co.uk