THE BRITISH COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL

UK Country Music Festival 2023 Celebrating Singer-songwriters

Hello to all our UK country music friends.

The 2022 festival is behind us, and we are incredibly proud of the fantastic lineup of artists that performed in Blackpool. We are back for our fourth festival edition, 1-3 September 2023.

We doubled the guest numbers in our second year (2021) and increased last year by 20.2%, which means that we are officially the fastest-growing country music festival in the UK, and managed to stage the 2022 event despite the country still being impacted by lockdown!

So, the cycle begins again. The real excitement is constantly discovering new artists; this year has been no exception. We spent weeks listening to apply to play submissions, and again the level of talent emerging in the UK is off the scale. Whilst all artists who performed last year were exceptional singer-songwriters, on our support stages, Celine Ellis, Hollie Rogers and Motel Sundown have been discovered by a whole new fanbase many of whom had not heard them before.

This year is a major game changer. We are thrilled to have secured a music legend as we welcome Graham Nash to take the main headline spot on Saturday night. Born in Blackpool, this will be his first time in the resort performing as a solo artist. The last time he was here, Graham was appearing as a member of The Hollies. Graham Nash was awarded the “Legendary Spirit of Americana Free Speech in Music” award at Americana Fest in Nashville and the “Lifetime Achievement Award at the UK Americana Awards in 2017. Nash was inducted twice into the Songwriters Hall of Fame for his work with Crosby Stills & Nash.

Taking the top spot on Friday night will be the stunning Donna Taggart who will be flying in from Ireland. Donna’s talent beckoned in 2016 with the release of her hit song “Jealous of the Angels” from the album Celtic Lady 2. In just one week the song had surpassed 25 million plays online and went to Number 1 in the US Billboard World Album Catalogue for three weeks! 

Megan McKenna is supporting Graham Nash on Saturday. Inspired by her deep-rooted love for all things country, the first step in Megan’s musical journey saw her travelling to Nashville to experience first-hand the music she’d always loved, documenting her travels for the public in a three-part ITV series “There’s Something About Megan”. This was the first time the public properly heard Megan’s unique, powerful voice. Her performances drew rave reviews and led to her releasing her debut country album “Story of Me” in 2018 with 2 singles hitting number one in the iTunes all genre charts.

The rest of the lineup is once again packed with some of the very best homegrown talent from The Dunwells and Jade Halliwell to Simeon Hammond Dallas and Robbie Cavangh. New Zealand’s Kylie Price returns in her own rights following her guest appearance in last year’s Songwriters’ Carousel. John Bramwell former front man with I Am Kloot will also be performing with his new band The Full Harmonic Convergence.

We will once again introduce you to some breathtaking new singer-songwriters. In turn, we can all play our part in helping them along the road to success and increased music sales by following them on social media and Spotify, purchasing their albums and dowloading their music.

Country, Americana and all their subgenres continue to rise in popularity in the UK, with more live streaming year on year, as UK music lovers enjoy homegrown artists who are pushing the boundaries with their own brand of country, Americana, roots and all the sub genres.

A DEEPER DIVE INTO UK COUNTRY & AMERICANA

We are developing a history of UK country music and the effect the British Isles have had on American country music.

TBCMF GALLERY & REVIEWS

UK Country Music Festival 2023

On a personal note, we have committed to creating more opportunities for homegrown, grassroots artists and we will be announcing several new initiatives throughout the next twelve months. We can’t wait to share them with you and our family of singer-songwriters! It is this focus on UK talent that continues to drive us and we continue to lobby TV, radio and the industry influencers to promote more UK artists and their music. It is time for homegrown artists to take their rightful place alongside American headliners. We will remain true to our values and participate in promoting homegrown singer-songwriters nationally and internationally wherever we can.

Before the ink has barely dried on the last programme, we have already confirmed the following artists for 2023: The Dunwells, Shea Rafferty and Sam Turner. We will be announcing more amazing artists at the beginning of November.

Country music and its sub-genres are such a broad church now, artists are continuing to develop their own UK sound. We will lead the eternal debate this year, asking ‘What is country music?”, particularly in the context of the UK scene.

The spectacular Empress Ballroom celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2021, and the venue restored the stunning dance floor to its former glory and industry-recognised professional standards for dancers. So what better way to celebrate live music and performance than in the candle-lit ballroom?  We believe it is the country’s most beautiful festival venue.

Live music continues to heal and bring us closer together in spirit. We can’t wait to connect with everyone again through the joy of sharing the live music experience. A massive thank you to those of you who continue to support us year after year. As an independent festival, it is a mammoth task and risk to organise the event each year, but seeing the joy these artists bring and their unquestionable talent we will continue to provide a platform for them to grow. It is what makes it all worthwhile.

Thank you again for your continued support and friendship and here’s to TBCMF 2023. See you in Blackpool!

Best wishes from Martin & Marina

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