As BOON and the world celebrates International Country Music Day (17 September), we here at BOON were incredibly excited to hear that Gloucester Business Improvement District (Gloucester BID) has announced a brand new event called Gloucester Country Music Festival Taster Event which will take place on Friday 4 to Sunday 6 October 2019. The weekend-long Gloucester Country Music Festival Taster Event will gauge the popularity of country music amongst live music fans in the region, before launching an expanded celebration of the genre in 2020.

Well this is exciting because not only are country music festivals and events popping up all across the UK but have now finally landed in our hometown (City) of Gloucester and even better, it is absolutely free so just drop on by.

Rather than an open aired festival (which in October wouldn’t be great) this festival will have acts playing in various venues in Gloucester city including the popular Café René, Tigers Eye Restaurant, The Dick Whittington Pub, Brewhouse and Kitchen, and The Fountain.

It is, believe it or not, quite a surprise that it has taken this long as a fair few of the UK country community’s favourites actually reside in or are from Gloucestershire, three of whom are playing this event: Two Ways Home, Demi Marriner and Country Collective.

Of the event Lewis and Isabella who make up Two Ways Home say; “We are super excited to be part of the Gloucester Country Music Festival taster event especially as it is so close to where Lewis grew up, meaning family and friends will definitely be in the crowd for this one. Also, after being on the Caffè Nero tour, playing around that area we can whole heartedly say people are gonna love it, they really seem to get the folksy/country vibe round those parts!“

Other acts playing include Kelsey Bovey, Stevie O’Connor, Johnny Atkinson, Sallie Ward and another favourite amongst UK country fans Danny McMahon. 

As well as live music, the weekend will also hold a line dancing session in The Fountain Inn and rumour has it, a flash mob line dance in the city centre. I guess you will have to be there to see if the rumours are true…

Organised by Marketing Gloucester and supported with funding from Gloucester BID, the Gloucester Country Music Festival follows the model of the successful Gloucester Folk Trail which has brought music lovers to the city for the past 2 Februaries.

Christopher Price, chair of Gloucester BID, said: “We’re delighted to announce our taster event for the Gloucester Country Music Festival. Gloucester has a great track record in developing events with different music genres, such as the Gloucester Folk Trail and the Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival, which are a great opportunity for local business to attract footfall and add to the excellent live music scene in the City. We’re keen to see what appetite Gloucester has for Country Music.”

The full line up and more information can be found at http://www.gloucestercountrymusicfestival.co.uk.

If live near by then don’t miss the event and if you don’t then hey, the train station is a minutes walk away so do come visit. We can’t wait! Let’s make Gloucestershire a regular stop for country music.