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About Worcester Music Festival 2013

Worcester Music Festival – all free, all live, all original

Worcester Music Festival 2013 takes place over from Friday 30th August to Sunday 1st September 2013.

There’s something quite special about Worcester Music Festival. After all, how many other places can you go and experience three whole days of live, original music from hundreds of up and coming bands and artists from the Midlands and across the UK without paying a penny?

A huge success story, the distinctive festival has grown exponentially since it was first staged six years ago, with a whopping 400 performances taking place in the city’s pubs, clubs, cafes and historic buildings as well as on outdoor stages at last year’s explosive event in August.

Artists perform for free and, in exchange, the festival committee works hard to promote acts that take part, helping performers reach new audiences, sell CDs and network with their peers. 

Quite uniquely, the festival is also the chance for everyone to have a go at making music, with the 2012 event hosting 30 free workshops, from world drumming, the four elements of hip hop and a kids’ Glee concert to young jazz and a guitar masterclass with the renowned Jon Gomm.

Last year’s programme for all ages and abilities was such a hit, in fact, it attracted almost 800 people over the weekend, with one mum describing the sheer amount on offer as “staggering”.

Reflecting the diversity of styles and genres on offer, workshops are, usually, led by musicians and artists who also perform at the festival, the idea being to nurture and develop skills of young and budding musicians, provide training and professional development opportunities to those already established in their field and invite people to try out and learn about new or unfamiliar musical genres in a supportive and friendly environment.

Worcester Music Festival 2012 focused on engaging with families to give them an alternative to TV talent shows, with emphasis on live gigs, workshops and activities aimed at the under 10s.

The festival is also about raising money for good causes, with the 2012 event raising £6,000 for the city’s New Hope children’s respite centre, taking the total amount raised for local charity over five years to nearly £25,000.

What people sometimes find hard to believe is that the non-profit making festival is run entirely by an enthusiastic group of volunteers. Their motivation? A love of live, original music.