The Summer of Music, Arts & Culture is a newly organised festival that will take place in Gloucester this July and August.
The festival will incorporate existing events which take place annually in Gloucester with new ones, creating a two month-long schedule of musical and cultural events.
Old favourites
The Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival will take place from 25th July until 7th August, and the Gloucester Carnival is confirmed for 23rd July. Featuring artists are to be confirmed.
Another returning event is the fourth Sportbeat Festival, taking place on 20th and 21st August; confirmed artists at this music event include The Fratellis, De La Soul and The View.
New additions
One of the new events planned for the summer festival is Art in the City, during which hundreds of artists will descend upon Gloucester over the weekend of 30th and 31st July, set up their easels and paint what they see.
An exhibition will be set up, and the artists’ work will be judged by a panel that includes the Countess of Bathurst, and artists P. J. Crook and Russel Haines.
The city will also be celebrating Beatrix Potter’s 150th birthday in July with events themed around The Tailor of Gloucester.
A new classical music festival, a folk festival and a poetry festival are also due to take place on dates yet to be confirmed during the summer.
Entertainment
Visitors to The Summer of Music, Arts & Culture can enjoy music from the Red Hot Chilli Pipers – an ensemble consisting of pipers, guitarists, keyboards and drummers formed in Scotland in 2002.
As well, an ensemble of Taiko drummers will be entertaining crowds throughout the summer event. Taiko is the name for a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments played by a group.
In addition, The Three Choirs, one of the world’s oldest choral festivals, will return to the city this year from 23rd to 30th July. Visitors can sip real ale and wine at the Festival Village around Gloucester Cathedral, and watch the Philharmonic Orchestra play music by Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Mahler.
For further information visit www.thecityofgloucester.co.uk.
