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BBC News
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Gainsborough festival attracts big names for suicide prevention
Dance artist Ian Van Dahl and M People singer Heather Small are due to headline a festival in memory of a man who took his own life aged 25. Organisers of Laybo's Fest in Gainsborough on 17 and 18 May said it aims to "make memories and generate positivity while remembering loved ones we have lost".The festival, now in its fifth year, is in memory of Leighton Hall who died in May 2019. The festival launched online during the Covid-19 pandemic but has quickly grown to become one of Gainsborough's biggest annual events and this year, for the first time, it is being held on the pitch at Gainsborough Trinity FC. The year after he died, Mr Hall's family asked his close friend Matthew Hill to create something to remember him by."Leighton was a great friend," Mr Hill said. "He was such a social character and obviously we miss him very very much. "The festival itself is our testament to Leighton, our tribute to Leighton and also a show of strength and comfort to anybody that's found themselves in our position of them losing their own Leighton." Mr Hill said the football pitch would be transformed with pop icons, local acts and friend of Mr Hall, Emily Kitchener, has organised children from 16 schools to come together to form one large choir on of the schools taking part is Benjamin Adlard Primary, which Mr Hall attended as a child. "There are teachers here whose children were in Leighton's class," Ms Kitchener said."So it feels really nice to be part of this in somewhere where he will have spent a lot of time being cheeky, I'm sure."He was the life and soul of the party and, once he had a microphone in his hand, there was no getting it off him so we bonded over that, doing lots of singing together." The festival raises money for the charity Laybo's Legacy which helps families with financial aid towards funeral costs of loved ones lost to Hall's mother, Niki Hall, said: "It just makes me so proud and it's keeping Leighton's memory alive."Ms Hall has attended help groups since her son's death and said she took comfort from the fact the festival raises money to help others. "It needed a person like Leighton," she said. "That's what keeps me going, because of the person he was. It needed someone like him to make people aware it can happen to anyone. "Just talk. Even if you're not going for help, just talk."Ms Kitchener said Mr Hall would have "absolutely loved" the festival. "I think he'd be so shocked at how big it's got, but he'd be so proud of what everyone's doing as well," she said. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BreakingNews.ie
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Blue to headline The Big Day Out in Limerick
Blue has been announced as headliners of The Big Day Out in Limerick this summer. The annual event, penned Ireland's biggest 90s and 00s party, takes place at Limerick TUS Gaelic Grounds on August 23rd. Advertisement The one-day festival's lineup also features Peter Andre, Heather Small, Ultrabeat, N-Trance, Mark McCabe and DJ Sash. Nearly 25 years since the release of their first single All Rise, Blue's Duncan, Lee, Simon and Anthony have achieved chart-topping success with pop classics such as One Love, If You Come Back and Breathe Easy. With worldwide sales of over 15 million records, Blue remain one of the UK's best-selling boybands. Al Gibbs will also play an exclusive set celebrating the 20th anniversary of Ireland Euphoria, the biggest selling Irish dance music album ever. Gowl Haus will host a Boybands vs Girl Power karaoke singalong, while the Big Day Out will be MC'd by legendary DJ MarkMcCabe. The silent disco makes a welcome return, while a brand new site layout with new areas, more bars and more loos has also been promised. Tickets go on sale on Friday at 9am from but early access is available this Thursday from Tickets are priced from €64.90 including booking fee from Ticketmaster.
