Are you a fan of live music, beer and cider? Would you like to donate and help a great cause? If your answer is “yes” then mark your calendar now!
Believe us – you don’t want to miss this.
Shaun Barker Burton Albion defender, former Derby County skipper’s family decided to organise WedFest – The First Anniversary festival for the weekend of 2nd, 3rd and 4th of June 2017. This small, family-friendly festival will be held in a calm and beautiful part of the wonderful Peak District, and will support The Shaun Barker Foundation.
There are always people out there in need of help, and getting involved in charity means you can make the world a little bit brighter. So why not get involved by purchasing a ticket to WedFest?
To make things even better, you can discover talented local artists in an excellent atmosphere. The current line-up features a wide variety of genres from pop to rock, and consists of Alex Blood, Jamie Joseph, The Star Botherers, Gregg, Murder At The Seaside, Kong, The Dooberies, Sophie Anna, 3 Piece Thing, Taxi For Bob, Gareth Icke and The Clench. More performers will also be announced, so it’s guaranteed you’ll find something you like.
We wanted to hear more about the event, so we chatted with Shelley and Ben, organisers of WedFest. Read what they told us below!
Who came up with the idea of the festival?
“The festival was inspired by our festival style wedding that we had earlier this year in June. We both love going to see live music and attend some small music festivals each year and so we wanted our wedding to reflect this. After our wedding, we started talking about putting a small music festival on for charity and then did some research into it before making the decision to do it.”
Wow, this is such a great story. You choose to support Shaun’s foundation, so tell us what you admire the most about it.
“We admire a lot about Shaun and his foundation. Shaun is a very determined young man and the last 4+ years reflects that, as he has been recovering from his massive football injury. He could have struggled emotionally during this time, but he didn’t, instead he stayed focussed on his recovery, and also used his time positively to set up the foundation. We admire the fact that Shaun is trying to give back to society. He has been fortunate in his life, but he is very aware that many people have it hard and wants to do something to help.”
What is it like organising an event that is supporting the Shaun Barker Foundation?
“We are both loving organising the event and it is exciting approaching and booking bands. We both feel proud that we are putting so much hard work into the event, in the hope that we are able to raise some money to donate to Shaun’s foundation.”
What is your main aim?
“Our main aim is to put on a successful annual family friendly music festival, with some good quality live acts and raise some money for an excellent foundation that supports really important causes.”
Don’t you have a pressure on you?
“We do have pressure on us. We have invested our own money into this event, as well as money from other people and we need to not only cover this money but also make profit for the foundation. It is extremely nerve racking and I am sure we will lose sleep nearer the time of the event, but we both feel that if you don’t try something, you will never know if it will be a success.”
Could you tell us how the lineup evolved?
“We have 15 bands/musicians booked so far and are still booking more. The lineup has evolved from a number of different aspects, Some bands we have seen previously at music festivals and we have really enjoyed them. Shaun has recommended a few musicians too. Other bands have been recommended by friends and some we have come across whilst looking on the internet. We are really excited about our lineup so far. We have some great music lined up for the festival and love the idea that we are celebrating unsigned musicians.”
Lastly, who and why would you recommend your festival?
“We would recommend our festival to anyone that likes live music and/or camping. We are also aiming to put some activities on for children too, so are very much a family friendly festival. We have some fantastic musicians lined up and a range of music genres, so there is something for everyone. To top it off, we are putting it on for a great cause, The Shaun Barker Foundation.”
We definitely can’t wait to see what happens at WedFest, and we wish the best for the organisers.
Make sure to keep an eye on the event on social media, and check out www.wedfesttaf.com if you need further information.
Also, don’t forget to tweet us at @CelebMix!