Latest news with #BedfordSummerSessions
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
What can I expect at the Bedford Summer sessions?
About 50,000 are expected to attend the Bedford Summer Sessions in the centre of the town. Seven concerts will take place from 3 to 13 July in the picturesque Grade II listed Bedford Park. Acts include Simple Minds, Rag'n'Bone Man, Supergrass and McFly. From timings to parking, read below to find out more about the events. What can I expect? The exact location is Bedford Park, Park Avenue, MK41 7SS. As it is an outdoor event, music goers have been asked to dress for the weather and, if it is sunny, to put on sunscreen. Organisers have said that if it rains, the events will go ahead, and will only be cancelled "if the conditions become dangerous". They asked guests not to bring an foldable chair is allowed per person in designated areas towards the rear of the arena. They are not allowed within the VIP Terrace Garden. Chairs are allowed in the whole of the arena for the proms on Sunday. What are the acts? Thursday 3 July: Simple Minds, with support from Alison Moyet and KT TunstallSaturday 5 July: Rag'n'Bone Man with Gavin James and Elles Bailey. Sunday 6 July: Proms in the Park with Russell Watson and Lesley GarrettThursday 10 July: The Human League with Thompson Twins', Tom Bailey and BlancmangeFriday 11 July: Café Mumbo Ibiza with Melanie C, Jax Jones and Fedde Le GrandSaturday 12 July: Supergrass with The Coral and Willie J HealeySunday 13 July: McFly with Twin Atlantic and Devon Where should I park? There is no parking available on the site, but Bedford Borough Council said it is keeping its Queen Street Car Park open overnight for the concerts. It will be free to use for the first two hours, and will also be free after 18:00 BST on all the concert dates. Other council-owned 24-hour car parks, all with free parking after 18:00, are: Lurke Street Multi-Storey Car Park, MK40 3HZ, 790 spaces, about a 10-minute walk to the park Allhallows Multi-Storey Car Park, MK40 1LX, 430 spaces, about a 12-minute walk "This parking initiative underlines the council's commitment to supporting local events and enhancing the visitor experience", the authroity said. What are the timings? Gates for the main concerts open at 17:00 and show times are "always subject to change", organisers said. All entertainment will finish between 22:00 and 23:00. For Proms in the park on Sunday 6 July, gates open at 16:30. What am I allowed to take in? You are not allowed to bring food and drink into the arena, but one sealed water bottle, with a maximum of 500ml, is allowed. You can also bring one empty reusable water bottle, which can be filled up at free water refill stations. For the proms event, food and drink will be not bring cash as the event is cashless, organisers added. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bedford Summer Sessions 'benefits the local economy' says promoter
The organiser of a seven-day concert series says putting it on in a town centre park "benefits the local economy".Peter Taylor, co-founder of Cuffe & Taylor which organises the Bedford Summer Sessions featuring acts including Rag-n-Bone Man, Simple Minds and McFly, said the Bedford Park venue was ideal because it had all the transport infrastructure around it to get audiences "in and out".He said he was "committed" to the town and wanted the concert series "to continue and we want to be able to grow it". Wells & Co, the Bedford-based brewery, said the event, which runs 3-13 July, was "vital" to the hospitality business. Mr Taylor said the gigs were part of its "national series of concerts" with Summer Sessions also taking place in Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Plymouth and Southampton. Some of the other gigs in Bedford included The Human League with the Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey and Blancmange; Supergrass with The Coral and Willie J Healey; and Café Mambo featuring Melanie C. "Being in a town centre has more positives than negatives because if you're in the middle of nowhere, everyone's got to get there," said Mr Taylor."We've got trains to London, buses, local car parks."As the event is put on close to houses "we meet with the residents, we do a lot of engagement with them, we talk to them", he added. "We have noise limits in our licence so that protects them to make sure that we're not too noisy for too long."Its current licence is for seven events over 11 days, with a limit of 15,000 people at each gig. "What I think works in Bedford is a nice number between 7,000 and 10,000 a day," said Taylor."It's about consistency - bigger isn't always better." Mr Taylor said: "Our preference is to have local food vendors. "We recruit locally for all our bar and VIP staff, our security staff, but also it's the hotels and accommodation businesses."UK Music estimates that for every person that attends a concert, they spend £100 in the local economy. It really benefits the local economy."A spokesman for Wells & Co, which has 16 pubs in the county town, including two that have accommodation, said: "As a hospitality business, these kinds of events are vital as they help bring energy and footfall into the town, encourage people to stay longer, and most importantly, they create moments of connection between local businesses and the community." Shirley Scotcher, interim chief executive of the Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre, which is the Summer Sessions' charity partner, said the concert series raised "much-needed funds" but also shone "a spotlight on the conditions we support: MS and Parkinson's". "These concerts give our members the opportunity to play an active role in supporting the centre they love and depend on," she said. This year the Proms in the Park concert is returning on Sunday, 6 July, with Russell Watson and Lesley Garrett, because it was "something the audience in Bedford wanted", Mr Taylor said. "We're already booking acts for next year," he added. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
