THERE’S only a week to go now to the start of Brecon Jazz Festival and most of the tickets for the smaller venues have already sold out.
But festival organisers say there are still plenty of reasons for those who haven’t bought tickets to flock to Brecon from August 10-13.
The main reason is for the ‘Streetscene – Vintage Fayre’, which starts at midday on Friday, August 11 and closes in the evening on Sunday, August 13.
The fair centres around three nights of stonking jazz music on a stage in the town centre and features a pop-up market with stalls spread through the town from The Bulwark to the Farmers Market.
There will also be a children’s funfair and – weather permitting – a mini classic car show.
None of this of course is forgetting the fringe festival, which traditionally falls on the same weekend as the jazz festival, and features all kinds of live music at pubs throughout the town centre.
It should be quite a weekend of celebration of both Brecon and jazz and if the weather holds up thousands of people can be expected in the town.
The line-up of acts on the main stage in The Bulwark over the weekend has now been finalised.
On Friday the stage order is: Saxalettes (2pm-4pm), Rarething (4pm-5.30pm), Calling Card (5.30pm-7pm). Saturday’s order is Easy Street (midday-2pm), Frazz Parade Samba Band (2pm-3pm), Live n Kicking choir (3pm-5pm), Toriah Fontaine (5pm-7pm).
On Sunday, the order on stage is Dave n Dai (midday to 2pm), Spartans (2pm-4pm) and Donnie Joe Quartet (4.15pm-6pm).
The locally-based Brecon Jazz team of Lastmark Music’s Geoff, EPM Marketing’s Paul and Brecon Jazz Club’s Roger and Lynne Gornall, have been burning the midnight oil in recent weeks to come up with the full ‘Streetscene – Vintage Fayre’ package.
Their plans are now nearly fully developed, made possible by the obtaining of a Road Closure Order which has, along with the help of local businesses and traders, allowed them to coordinate a new and vibrant Streetscene running throughout the town centre.
The Bulwark Stage will be set up outside The Wellington Hotel (not St Marys Church which is still scaffolding as had been originally hoped). The main stage now has a sponsor in the form of Brecon Brewing, so it really is all systems go.
Geoff said: “The dream of the team from the start of planning in February of this year was to bring back the carnival atmosphere of past festivals, but as a contemporary, family-friendly and locally organised and financed event.”
Lynne added: “We already have people coming from all over the country, and Europe, to enjoy the Jazz events. But we now want the locals from near and far to bring their families and children. This is going to be a festival for all tastes and ages.”
In a final plea to the public to make sure this year’s Jazz Festival is a success, she added: “So please come along everyone and help us make this the 34th Brecon Jazz Festival the best yet.”
For more information visit: www.breconjazz2017.co.uk, or email [email protected].