The British Country Music Festival 2022 Line-Up Announcement

 THE BRITISH COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL CELEBRATES STORY TELLERS

 Line-up for The British Country Music Festival 2022 has been revealed.

The Third Edition of The British Country Music Festival, 4 indoor stages including the candlelit iconic Empress Ballroom. Celebrating UK country music singer songwriters.

VIP Weekend Ticket 2022 package for TBCMF 2022 including an exclusive “Audience With…” event exclusive to VIP ticket holders. £125.00 TICKETS

Weekend Ticket 2022 Early Bird Ticket. £87.50 TICKETS

WHERE: Winter Gardens, Blackpool (Blackpool Rocks, Winter Gardens, 97 Church St, Blackpool FY1 1HL)

WHEN: Friday 02 September 2022 – Sunday 04 September 2022

TBCMF 2022 Festival Poster CLICK to ENLARGE

 

Now in its third year, The British Country Music Festival (TBCMF) is back at the indoor, Winter Gardens entertainment complex in Blackpool from 2nd to 4th September 2022. With four stages in the venue, the event was launched in 2019 to provide a platform for grass roots artists to perform alongside established, singer-songwriters of country music, Americana, folk, roots and all the various sub genres.

This year the festival is expecting record ticket sales with the announcement that Ivor Novello Songwriter of The Year 2014 and BRIT’s Critics Choice Award winner Tom Odell will be the main Saturday night headliner. Tom has had four top five albums including massive number one Long Way Down, and Jubilee Road which was inspired by the terraced streets in which he grew up. He is due to release his fifth studio album later this year.

”Fit The Bill directors Martin and Marina Blore, promoters and curators of the festival, have spent weeks listening to the hundreds of applications from talented singer-songwriters from across the UK and sifting them down to the final lineup. 
 
TBCMF promoter Martin Blore from Fit The Bill Limited announced: “Our festival provides a platform for the UK’s best story tellers which is what contemporary country, folk and Americana music is all about. Tom Odell is one of our greatest lyricists and composers and we are thrilled that he is headlining. His reflective indie-folk style helps to push the boundaries of our festival and I can’t wait to hear Tom’s performance in the candlelit Empress Ballroom.”

TBCMF curated playlist on YouTube:

Martin added: “Homegrown artists are now writing about life in the UK with songs that are continuing to establish a British country sound, without emulating the traditional, American country drawl. Previously, UK artists were writing about saloons and cowboys, now they are referencing their own country, singing about pubs and terraced houses. They are still heading to Nashville, but they are recording music about love and life in Great Britain. The UK now has its own brand of British country music and it is becoming ever more evident that our talented songwriters should stand alongside those who headline in Nashville.”

 

Second headliner on Saturday will be Lucy Spraggan, whose song-writing skills are critically acclaimed and have covered subjects from sobriety to mental health. Since wowing the judges on the X Factor back in 2012, Lucy has toured extensively with showcase performances at SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas in 2018, a UK tour and European dates and appearances at Glastonbury and Isle of Wight festivals. Lucy also toured with Melissa Etheridge in Europe in 2019. Her latest album “Choices” was released in 2021 and debuted at number 5 on the album charts. 

Headlining on Friday is Amy Wadge, making a rare live appearance, having recently spent more time focusing on song-writing.  Amy, is the writer of this year’s Eurovision song “Space Man” for singer Sam Ryder. Her long-established partnership with Ed Sheeran is well documented and her name is referenced on the EP they wrote together “Songs I Wrote With Amy”. The EP includes the beautiful and highly successful “Thinking Out Loud”, for which she won the Grammy for Song of The Year in 2016. Amy wrote the soundtrack for two series of the BBC’s Keeping Faith and she has also co-written for and with artists including Keith Urban, LeAnn Rimes, The Shires and Dua Lipa. 

Sunday 4^th September is the last day of the event that traditionally welcomes an international artist to the festival. This year sees Canadian country singer Jess Moskaluke take that guest spot. 
 Jess is the first artist since Shania Twain to achieve the Canadian Recording Industry Award (CRIA) Platinum single release for the hit “Cheap Wine and Cigarettes” and she has since won CRIA Gold awards for “Take Me Home” and “Kiss Me Quiet”. 
 
On the Horseshoe Acoustic Stage, Kezia Gill makes a welcome return following her main stage performance last year. Rarely does an artist return for two years in a row but Kezia will be performing some unreleased songs in an up close and personal setting and the amazing Laura Oakes will host the traditional Songwriters Carousel in association with CountryLine TV. With performers such as Brooke Law and The Tumbling Paddies, (the latter flying in from Ireland), the venue will be bursting with the UK’s best music creators.
 
Support artists on the main stage include singer-songwriter and producer Henry Priestman, former member and songwriter for The Christians and whose album The Chronicles of Modern Life was a huge success. Along with Henry, Sunbirds will also be performing on Sunday. The band comprises of Beautiful South founder member Dave Hemingway, who has been busy working with South colleague, guitarist/songwriter Phil Barton, new discovery singer/violinist Laura Wilcockson and drummer Marc Parnell. 
 
The festival also offers festival goers the option to purchase a tram ticket and arrive in Blackpool a day early for an exclusive preview of Blackpool Illuminations before the official switch on that takes place on the opening night of TBCMF (2^nd September). 
 
The combination of Tom Odell, Laura Spraggan and Amy Wadge is a programming coup that won’t be seen on any other country, folk or Americana festival line-up this year and it is testament to the promoters’ bold ambition for the future of the event to push boundaries and to celebrate the UK songwriters who focus on truth, great song structure and beautiful lyrics.

ABOUT The British Country Music Festival

Music Styles: The British Country Music Festival (TBCMF) favour contemporary, singer-songwriters performing songs from the genre’s country, country pop, country blues, Americana, blue grass, folk, country rock, Irish and Celtic country as well as all the lovely sub genres in between.

Perfect Venue: Situated in the heart of Blackpool's entertainment area, the festival is staged at the amazing indoor event space of The Winter Gardens. Built in 1878, the building oozes charm, heritage and character.

Empress Ballroom: The main stage is the world-famous Empress Ballroom. With its gilded, vaulted ceiling it is just a magical room to present our style of music. We have candlelit candlelabras to add to the atmosphere.  

Horseshoe Pavilion: Originally designed as a promenading venue, the Horseshoe Pavilion theatre is home to our intimate, acoustic artists, the festival favourite "The Songwriters Carousel".

Seated, Dancing or Standing: There is seating, standing or space to dance if you want to in all our rooms. The entrance is on the ground floor and there are lifts to access all floors. We are not really a line-dancing festival, but the professionally sprung dance floor welcomes all dancers and all styles.

In a field of our own: Uniquely for a festival TBCMF are indoors, so the weather can't spoil the fun or the sound quality. You can rely on proper plumbed in toilets and permanent bars. With no mud to worry about, you can dress up or down, in stilettos or boots, whatever floats your boat!

Blackpool ....The UK's biggest seaside resort, the festival coincides with the switch on of the world famous illuminations. Your weekend wristband allows you to come and go throughout the weekend so that you can enjoy attractions, afternoon tea at Blackpool Tower or fish and chips!       

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