Free Northumberland music festival this weekend

The BRIT-nominated group, responsible for Heartbeat, She’s So Lovely and This Ain’t A Love Song, will headline the free event, which runs from 11am to 9pm.

Roy Stride, frontman with Scouting For Girls, said: “We are so excited to be coming to Northumberland this summer. We’ll be playing all our hits plus a few surprises for everyone who comes down to the beach. Whatever the weather we’ll bring the sunshine.”

Local bands will also get everyone dancing with eight groups or singers sharing the stage with the chart-topping act.

The local performers include Percy and the Piglets (Blyth); Cortney Dixon (South Shields); David Neil (Whitby); Shields (Cramlington); Dust Town Dogs (Durham); Sarah Holmes (Ashington); Just so (Newcastle/Blyth/Morpeth); and Hayley McKay (Hartlepool).

As well as live music, there will also be a selection of sporting showcases, street theatre and locally-sourced arts, crafts and food stalls – plenty of fun for all the family.

Northumberland Live 2016 is being supported by Blyth Town Council in association with Northumberland County Council and BBC Newcastle 95.4FM Digital.

A free shuttle bus will be making regular journeys throughout the day from Blyth town centre to the beach front. Pick-up points will be outside Blyth Library building and from Meggies Burn (which is acting as the overflow car park). The festival will be sign-posted from the A193, A1061 and B1329; drivers coming along the A189 are advised to follow the signs for Blyth Beach.

This all comes during an exciting year for Blyth, with the town set to welcome visitors from all over the world to the North Sea Tall Ships Regatta Blyth 2016 in August.