Lytham Festival
Tuesday 28th June to Sunday 10 July 2022
Lytham Festival has grown from a one-night-only community Proms-style concert to a spectacular five-day live music event which now attracts well in excess of 70,000 people each summer.
Staged on the banks of Lancashire’s stunning Ribble Estuary, the festival was the brainchild of friends Daniel Cuffe and Peter Taylor.
What started out as two local lads having an idea for a one-night event for Leafy Lytham is now a huge event on the national music calendar, with fans travelling from all four corners of the UK as well as from overseas to witness and take part in this festival.
In 2010 just 4,500 local people came to what was then Lytham Proms to watch soprano Lesley Garrett perform.
A year later Lytham Proms grew into a three-day event with headliners Status Quo and Boyzone as well as a traditional proms concert headlined by Katherine Jenkins.
As the Proms gained increasing popularity, in 2015 it became a four-day event and was rebranded Lytham Festival.
And since 2015 Lytham Festival has been a five-day event.
Headliners have varied massively over the years ranging from the likes of Billy Ocean, Tom Jones, Faithless and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds to Bryan Adams, Hacienda Classical, Nile Rodgers and CHIC and Madness.
Alongside those headliners have been spectacular picnic Proms-style concerts attracting classical and musical theatre royalty including Lea Salonga, Ramin Karimloo, Michael Ball, Sheridan Smith, Alfie Boe, Collabro and Jodie Prenger.
2019 marked the 10th anniversary with headline shows from Rod Stewart, Kylie Minogue and Stereophonics.
2022 will see ten nights of live music light up Lytham Green once again. This tranquil beauty spot is normally reserved for dog walkers, kite flyers and family picnics but each summer it is transformed into a buzzing live music hub as artists from across the globe perform to crowds of up to 20,000 people each night.
Diana Ross
Motown legend Diana Ross will kick off the 2022 festival on Tuesday 28th June. The American singer and actress rose to fame as the lead singer of The Supremes, who became Motown’s most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world’s best-selling girl groups of all time. A hugely successful solo career followed and has seen Ross win countless major awards including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Golden Globe, a Tony and several American Music Awards.
Support to be confirmed
Lewis Capaldi
Wednesday June 29 will see rapidly rising international star Lewis Capaldi headline the Main Proms Arena. It’s been a meteoric rise for the Scottish singer-songwriter. This year alone has seen his number one single Someone You Loved nominated at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and it then won the 2020 Brit Award of the same title. Earlier this year his single Hold Me While You Wait was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award and Capaldi also won the 2020 Brit Award for Best New Artist.
Support to be confirmed
Snow Patrol
Indie rockers Snow Patrol are the Thursday 30th June night headliners. With a 25-year career they have racked up an impressive number of accolades including more than 17 million global album sales and an Ivor Novello award. Their 2006 monster hit single Chasing Cars went on to become UK radio’s most played song of the 21st Century.
Support to be confirmed
Duran Duran
On Friday 1st July Lytham Festival will host British music icons Duran Duran. Since first storming onto the pop scene in 1981 Duran Duran have sold more than 100 million records, had 18 American hit singles, 21 UK Top 20 tunes and have continued to perform to huge concert audiences around the world.
Consistently fusing art, technology, fashion and a signature sense of style with their unique and infectious brand of music, singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor have proven themselves timeless.
Special guests for Duran Duran are yet to be announced.
Lionel Richie
Saturday 2nd July will see international superstar Lionel Richie headline as he will perform hits from his extensive and much-loved repertoire spanning decades, all the way from the Commodores to the present day. His music is part of the fabric of pop music and Richie has sold more than 125 million albums worldwide and is an Oscar, Golden Globe, and four-time Grammy Awards winner.
Support to be confirmed
The Strokes
One of the most influential bands of the 21st century, The Strokes Lytham Festival performance on Friday July 8 will be an exclusive North of England show. From the moment they released their critically acclaimed debut album Is This It in 2001 The Strokes were destined for huge international success and have gone on to earn a string of awards including a Grammy earlier this year for their most recent album The New Abnormal. And to make this one huge rock night to remember, The Strokes will be supported by Irish post punk band Fontaines DC.
Tears for Fears
The following night, Saturday July 9, will see timeless favourites Tears For Fears headline. The Brit Award winners have garnered international success and toured throughout the world delighting audiences with their iconic hits including Mad World, Shout, Everybody Wants To Rule The World and Head Over Heels. Critically acclaimed hitmaking singer-songwriter Alison Moyet is special guest, while Australian pop star Natalie Imbruglia will open the show.
(Alison Moyet image credit Steve Gullick)
Make a weekend of it!
There are plenty of good quality, welcoming guest houses, holiday apartments and hotels in the area and use the accommodation section on this website where there’s plenty to chose from (always book direct for the best rates).
Image shown – HY Hotel, St Annes
There are fabulous places to eat locally too.