Lineup announced for Poulton-le-Fylde summer festival

A lineup of events to suit all ages and tastes has been announced for the first ever Spot On Festival.

Taking place in Poulton-le-Fylde 14-16 June, the theatre, music and dance festival is full of live performances for all ages; some free, some ticketed, plus an artisan makers market. The event is hosted by Poulton-le-Fylde Community Hall, the medieval Parish Church and the welcoming Library as well as unexpected places and spaces around the town centre.

Opening the festival on the evening of Friday 14th June will be Monster Ceilidh Band who ramp up traditional folk with smelting riffs, massive chords and intense electronics from some of the UK’s finest folk musicians. From the other side of the globe, Eastern Canadian folk band Rum Ragged enliven and enlighten audiences with their signature brand of Newfoundland folk. 

Setting a gentler pace, Meraki Duo, Winners of the 2023 II International Chamber Music Competition for Flute & Guitar in Spain, perform a varied programme of classical music in the beautiful surroundings of St Chad’s church. 

Down to earth soprano Nicola Mills brings her popular Opera for The People to the Spot on Festival. This diva with a difference asks the audience to choose their programme from her Song Menu which is full of popular opera, classical songs and musicals for an uplifting and touching night to remember.

Music and dance lovers can enjoy The Swan of Salen, a unique blend of Tchaikovsky's iconic Swan Lake music and traditional Gaelic melodies played live by The Willow Trio, with enchanting ballet footage projected behind the harpists as they perform.

Bringing the festival to a close, the popular Swing Commanders present their take on well-crafted songs from the thirties to the fifties, from American Songbook classics to Western Swing and Novelty songs; overlaying these with lush vocal harmonies and hot solos. 

Elsewhere in the festival programme there’s plenty for young audiences and families, with Ten in the Bed celebrating the power of imaginary play; Gemma Bond, the Pirate Princess searching for a safe space to land in a children’s outdoor pole-theatre show, and Splat! a funny show about art and creativity.  Families can step inside the Library at the Edge of the World; meet a giant tortoise and then dance their socks off at MiniFest, a gig created especially for children on the afternoon of Sunday 16th.

“After nearly thirty years of bringing professional performing arts to village halls and libraries across Lancashire, Spot On and Poulton-le-Fylde Community Hall bring you the first Spot On Festival. All the goodness of Spot On and more crammed into one weekend in the historic market town of Poulton-le-Fylde” (Robert Howell, Director, Culturapedia: Spot On Festival).

Spread over the Community Hall, Library, Booths, St Chads and the Marketplace Festival Stage, this is a welcoming festival for everyone, with a wide variety of events, some free and some ticketed; from Bhangra dancing sessions with CBeebies’ Sohan Kailey, puppets in the Market Place, comedy from Kate Fox, to fishmongers Cliff and Nestor wandering Poulton trying to escape the seagulls in Never a Gull Moment.

Between shows, the Marketplace Festival Stage, hosted on Saturday 15th by Coastal Radio’s Scott Gallagher, will be home to local talent, with a wide variety of community groups performing, showing grass-roots arts and culture at its best. 

To make this all happen, Spot On are calling out for volunteers to support. If you think you could offer your skills, time and enthusiasm to make friends and have a great experience then please get in touch by emailing hello@spotonlancashire.co.uk.

Spot On, run by Culturapedia, is Lancashire’s rural and library-touring theatre network. They promote over 50 shows a year, but this is the first time they’ve held a festival of this scale over a weekend.

Poulton-le-Fylde Community Hall, Culturapedia and Wyre Council are hosting the Spot On Festival: Poulton-le-Fylde with support from Wyre Council and Arts Council England. Visit the Spot On Lancashire Festival website for the full programme at www.spotonlancashire.co.uk.