Joe GallopLive Nation Entertainment-owned Cuffe and Taylor, organisers of Lancashire’s Lytham Festival, has been given the green light to expand the music event from five to 10 days next year.
Following a licence application formally submitted to Fylde Borough Council on 14 July, councillors at a recent licence hearing voted in favour of the extension. The licence is for one year only and in 2023 the festival will revert to its usual five nights.
The festival will take place over two weekends between 28 June and 10 July and is expected to bring twice the amount of people to the coastal town, from its usual 100,000.
The approval comes after Cuffe and Taylor’s new WonderHall Festival took place at Lytham Hall from 25-30 August. The event resulted in £153,000 being donated to Lytham Hall from all ticket sales for the Sunday Picnic Proms concert, which was headlined by Russell Watson.
The promoter said WonderHall will return for one night in 2022 with a “Last Night of the Proms-style” concert. From 2023 onwards Lytham Festival will revert to five nights, while WonderHall will return as a five-night festival.
Cuffe and Taylor has already announced a series of headliners for next year’s Lytham Festival, including Lionel Richie, Lewis Capaldi, Diana Ross, Duran Duran and Snow Patrol. The headliners for the remaining five nights will be announced soon.
Cuffe and Taylor director Peter Taylor said, “We are delighted with the support and decision of Fylde Borough’s councillors in approving our plans.
“The live music industry has been devastated by the global pandemic so to be able to bring 10 days of live music to wonderful Lytham in 2022 will not only be a huge boost to the industry we work in, it will provide massive economic benefits to the whole of the Fylde coast and beyond.
“A 10-day Lytham Festival for 2022 will attract around 200,000 live music fans and we can’t wait to bring global icons back to Lytham Green.”