Knowsley Music Festival was back with a bang for 2023 as more than 2,000 people enjoyed live music performances at venues across the borough.
From 8-18 November, 25 bands and artists performed at 13 venues throughout Knowsley, many of which were completely free to attend!
Headlining this year’s festival were Liverpool legends, Lightning Seeds whose stripped back, intimate show at St Chad’s Church in Kirkby sold out in less than 24 hours. The show also featured support from Casino who performed to acclaim at the Music Festival Extra earlier this year.
Local music icon Michael Head and The Red Elastic Band packed out the theatre space at Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park with support from upcoming artists Rianne Downey and Astles.
St. Nicholas Church in Halewood – a brand-new venue for this year’s festival – was transformed into a beautiful floral garden for ‘Late Night Lillies’, an all-female show curated by talented musician and producer, Låpsley which featured artists Immi Dash, Hannah Morgan and Lazy Girl.
A grant programme, funded by Knowsley Council, encouraged local venues to put on music events of their own as part of a Fringe Festival which saw 15 shows played in bars, café’s, pubs and community halls, and featured a huge range of musical genres, from Motown to Hip Hop and Opera to Rock.
The first Knowsley Music Festival took place in 2022 as part of Knowsley’s year as the Liverpool City region Borough of Culture. This was followed up with the Music Festival Extra, a spin off event on a smaller scale that took place in March of this year.
Cllr Shelley Powell, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Communities said: “It’s amazing that we’ve been able to host yet another outstanding line-up of artists and performers for this year’s Knowsley Music Festival and that local residents have been able to enjoy world-class performances on their doorstep. The high number of attendees just goes to show, once again, that there is a huge appetite for cultural events of this nature in the borough, and we can’t wait to show you what we’ve got in store for 2024.”
View the Knowsley Music Festival Photo Gallery below
