Osfest date clash hits planned line-up
A music festival in Shropshire has been thwarted in its plans to attract more top names to the county by a rival event, bosses revealed today.
Osfest – Break For the Border organisers say attracting big acts to this year's festival has been tough because it falls on the same days as Radio One's Big Weekend. They have still declared their line-up the 'best ever'.
Many of the bands approached to play in Oswestry in May had already signed exclusivity deals for the Londonderry Big Weekend.
However promoters of Osfest have still managed to produce a star-studded music festival that will be taking place at Oswestry Showground, Park Hall, on May 25 and 26.
It boasts a line-up of chart-toppers including boyband JLS, X Factor's James Arthur and Lucy Spraggan and rapper Wiley.
Carly Jackson, event director for the Oswestry festival, said she had found this year difficult.
"Osfest is on the same time as the Londonderry Big Weekend and a number of bands had signed an exclusivity contract so they couldn't perform anywhere else that weekend," she said.
"This year was a very tough year, competing with Radio One, but the acts we have we are so pleased with.
"I am delighted with the line-up. It is the best we have ever had."
Osfest organisers celebrated the fourth annual event at the official launch party on Thursday night at the music festival's new headquarters, the Townhouse, in Willow Street.
Osfest managing director Mike Scott said: "I am extremely excited about this year's festival. It has been nice to do the launch in our own building. It has been a good launch and the idea of it was to tell people what we are doing.
"Osfest is good for the community as the hotels and pubs get full and the town is busy. It brings a lot of money into the local economy."
The festival will be supporting local charity The Oswestry Bone Cancer Centre Appeal which aims to raise £500,000 towards a new £2 million centre at the orthopaedic hospital, in Gobowen.
The new centre will treat cancer patients, the majority of whom will be under 24 years old.
Tickets will be sold at the orthopaedic hospital on March 14, April 4 and May 2.
Day tickets are priced at £34.50 and weekend tickets start from £65. They can also be bought from www.osfest.co.uk
