
by Ray Duffill
The Hedon Festival takes place in the town on Saturday, July 20, from 12.30pm until 10pm.
The festival, known as Hedfest, has evolved since its first manifestation in 2015, but one of its mainstays has been the featured carnival parade.
This year’s theme is Celebrating the Olympics, with a tribute to the Paris event which starts just a week later. Those wanting to participate in the parade should meet up at noon on Ivy Lane off Market Hill, where it will assemble, and there will be an array of carnival costumes available for participants to wear.
The carnival parade will snake around the town’s main streets from 12.30pm in a blaze of colour and music, bringing a touch of Rio de Janeiro and effectively launching Hedfest 2024. The parade will complete its journey around the town centre at Market Place, which will be alive with stalls and street food outlets.
Mainly a music festival, the Hedfest main stage, described as the Acoustic Stage, will be found at St Augustine’s Church. The main headliners include Tom Hingley, the former frontman of Oldham-based rock band Inspiral Carpets, who will perform his original solo works. Also performing is Mark Morriss, formerly of 1990s Britpop band the Bluetones, and Nigel Clark, another Britpop star of the 1990s.
The lineup is completed with performances from the following: the Mount Pleasant Experience, Rob Bywater and the Something Somethings, Nick Rooke, the Cox Brothers, Simon Snaize, Diddie Hair, Kobe Allenby and James Wood. The music at the church starts at 1pm, with the headliners expected at about 7pm. The stage, and Hedfest, closes at 10pm.
The second performance area is the Jongleurs Stage, described by the organisers as a “haven of creative expression” that will take place at Hedon Town Hall. Those who know the town hall will expect an intimate entertainment area that will also benefit from a bar.
From 2pm until 9pm there will be an artistic mix of poetry from Mike Watts, Terry Ireland, Sue Ireland, Peter Knaggs, Leah Lopez and Catherine Scott. During the afternoon, young poets from local schools will be recognised for their contributions to a Hedfest poetry competition.
The day at the town hall will also feature music from Evie Barrand, Rachel McKenna, Goodnight Vincent, Maddie Tweedale, Tymesha, Rob Bywater and Carrie Martin. Two fringe venues offer Hedfest entertainment too: one at the Station in Souttergate and the Hed’on Inn in Watmough’s Arcade.
Hedfest is arranged and organised by Hedon Town Council. This year’s sponsor is communications company KCOM. Kim Gray, town clerk, said: “Hedfest is shaping up to be an epic day, and thanks to KCOM, we’ve got a phenomenal lineup of acts ready to take the stage at our free community extravaganza.
“We are ready to host electrifying music and captivating spoken-word performances guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face. A huge thank you to KCOM for helping make this year’s Hedfest truly outstanding!”