Music fills the streets for another successful Shrewsbury Loopfest despite downpour

The festival, which took place for the first time last year, was back on Saturday, with 25 free venues and a fresh main stage at Shrewsbury Castle.

Organiser Jamie Smith said that despite the occasional downpour the stage at the Castle had proved a big hit with the crowds – and the performers.

He said: "The Castle has been amazing. We have had a great response and loads of people came out to enjoy it. It has been really exciting seeing the reaction.

"The sound has been brilliant and we are really pleased with the way it has gone. We are lucky because we have got a really excellent team behind us making it work."

He added: "It is a really family-friendly day. That is why we wanted to have the Castle stage, it's inclusive, that is one of the reasons we were pushing for that because we knew we could have an accessible stage."

Despite being faced with some "crazy" weather Jamie said people had been taking the chance to enjoy bands and performers who don't always get the opportunity to show their talents.

He said: "We have got 25 venues, 25 amazing places full of lots of lovely people. We are lucky because we have got an amazing array of musicians in Shropshire – you could not ask for more, and they are underplayed.

"We are in Shropshire and we are out of the way so it is hard for acts to try and get out there and be seen and we are trying to give people a great opportunity to be seen and find people who might not have considered going out to see them otherwise."

Last year's festival raised more than £1,000 for Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust's neo-natal department and Severn Hospice. The neo-natal department is close to Jamie's heart, after his son was born 10 weeks premature.

This year, organisers plan to use surplus funds to support arts projects in Shropshire at all age levels.