Live music will return once more to Midsomer Norton High Street with a new, summer music festival called M-FEST, which will take place on the same day as the Midsomer Norton Fayre on Saturday, 9th July.
Organisers say this is in response to feedback from local residents, after many took to social media last year to complain about the lack of entertainment for adults, specifically, live music.
The plan is for M-FEST to showcase local music talent on stage in the High Street from 12 noon. The Midsomer Norton Community Trust, which is leading the organisation of the event, has drafted together an organising team drawn from all sections of the community, including The Wunderbar, Midsomer Norton and Radstock Rotary Club, Somer Valley FM and a number of other local groups – all working together to bring live music back to the town.
“Our aim is to create a music festival drawing on and encouraging local talent from around the Somer Valley in the heart of the town,” said Alex Davis, from the Midsomer Norton Community Association. “We hope to have a large main stage shutting off the High Street and an acoustic tent in the Hollies Garden. Sitting alongside the Fayre event in Gullock Tyning, hopefully there will be something for everyone this summer.”
Lucy Milner, from The Wunderbar, is helping to programme the event and has revealed that artists expected to perform so far include The Greasy Slicks, The White City Shakers and Farebrother. “Midsomer Norton has a history of music and a festival connection, and it’s been missed in the town in recent years,” said Lucy. “It’s also true that Midsomer Norton has changed quite a bit in the last few years, and we need something new to reflect that change. We are even looking into local food stalls which could link the main stage to the acoustic tent on the green outside Sainsbury’s.
“This is something for the community and there are plenty of things to do for those who fancy getting involved!” Acts interested in performing should email Lucy via: [email protected]
The Community Trust has been successful in putting their case to Midsomer Norton Town Council, which is backing M-FEST with a £5,000 grant to get the event off the ground. It is hoped to attract further sponsorship in the coming months in order to develop as wide a funding base as possible to ensure the event is sustainable in future.
Although the Midsomer Norton Community Trust already has a Premises Licence to cover the event, it is about to submit a licence variation to B&NES Council to extend the end time from 6 p.m. and talks are currently in hand with B&NES and the Police.
Locals will be watching closely to see how this idea develops, with many sure to welcome the return of a live music event to Midsomer Norton’s High Street. The once-popular previous event, however, ended up dividing the community, with local traders finding conditions hard and the event rebranded in 2011 following negative publicity, underage drinking and anti-social behaviour. This then evolved into the Midsomer Norton Fayre Day in 2014, which moved the event out of the High Street, losing the live music and fairground rides and introducing features for local schools, and a show tent for arts and crafts. Since 2011, the Town Council has been working to improve the nightlife scene in the town, with introduction of the Community Alcohol Partnership, the street marshals and pastors. It is hoped that occasions such as M-FEST will encourage more people to come to the town in the evenings for social events and to see what Midsomer Norton has to offer.
For further details on M-FEST, please ring Alex Davis on: 01761 419133 or visit: www.midsomernortoncommu nitytrust.co.uk. Watch out for more details of M-FEST in The Journal as it develops.
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