South Ribble will host ‘Music in the Park’ next year following a 2022 event that saw attendees name it ‘a major success’ and ‘the best since the hey days’.

South Ribble Borough Council has announced that the popular event will return in 2023 and promised to secure a ‘bigger and better lineup’.

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The inaugural event, which this year featured the likes of Tony Hadley, Go West and Heaven 17, will take place in Worden Park, Leyland, and return on Sunday, 28 May, over the bank holiday weekend.

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Councillor Paul Foster, the leader of South Ribble Borough Council, said: “The idea of starting a major festival in South Ribble has been a few years in the making. We knew from feedback from residents that it would be a success, but we were blown away by the feedback.

“While we had no doubts this could be an annual event to boost the local economy and bring visitors to the area, we wanted to see how the first year went, and it crowned a fantastic weekend over the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

“We’ve been working behind the scenes to host an even bigger and better event in 2023, and while we can’t yet release the details of who will be performing next year, it will be a fantastic lineup.

“We wanted to announce the date soon as we know lots of people are really excited for what 2023 will bring.”

Over 3,000 people attended the event, which saw star names such as Tony Hadley, T’Pau, Go West, Heaven 17 and Pat Sharp rock the crowds in Worden Park.

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The 2023 lineup will expand to cover 80s and 90s music, based on feedback from those who went and those who missed out and want to attend next year, with 97 per cent of people attending saying they would recommend the event to a friend.

Councillor Foster said: “This is just one example of things we want to bring to South Ribble.

“Not only is it brilliant for residents to have something like this on their doorstep, but it also generated a real sense of pride in the area. Local businesses benefitted, with more people spending money on the local economy.

“It was a real feel-good event to help us start to get back to normal after Covid, and I know when we announce the lineup, it will give people another fantastic event to look forward to.”

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The lineup and ticket details will be released in the coming weeks, with payment plans available to help people spread the cost.

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Will you be heading to Worden Park next summer? Let us know in the comments below.