Stage is set for Bingley Music Live

Throughout today, people could be seen hard at work in the town’s Myrtle Park making final preparations for the three-day extravaganza, including putting the finishing touches to the main stage.

Acts at this year’s festival include Noel Gallagher’s Highflying Birds, Jake Bugg, Shed Seven, The Cribs, Ride, Melanie C, Lightning Seeds, Public Image Limited, local Bingley musicians Marmozets and many more. There will also be the chance to see the big names of the future. on the Discovery Stage.

With the forecast for a generally sunny but breezy weekend, everything seemed to be falling into place for the event.

This year’s festival, run by Bradford Council, will offer people the widest choice of food in the festival’s history, with dishes from around the globe. There will also be healthy options on offer, as well as food to suit a variety of dietary requirements.

A wide range of alcohol and soft drinks will be served at the main festival bar, including lager, cider, wine, spirits and sodas. Cask ale will be available at the Potting Shed Real Ale bar and there will be the now traditional cocktail bar and a gin bar in the same area of the park.

The Kids Zone area gives younger visitors the chance to let off some steam with activities including giant games, sand, bouncy castle, crafts, circus performances and workshops.

For those who fancy a bit of shopping, there will be a ‘mini village’ among the trees of over 15 stalls. Items on offer will include glitter face and body painting, flower crowns, ethically-sourced clothing and wearable art and jewellery.

Official Bingley Music Live and band merchandise is also available to purchase from a stand in the middle of the main arena.

A Welfare Tent providing among other services a nappy change area, breastfeeding area, dedicated children’s toilet and Changing Places toilet (for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets), sun lotion and a lost children service.

Fancy dress Sunday’s are a Bingley Music Live tradition and this year’s theme is ‘big hair and tutus’. People are invited to go wild with the theme so whether it’s a beehive, bouffant or an afro people are encouraged to channel their inner ballerina.

Festivalgoers are reminded to take note of key information on the website, about what they can and can’t bring to the festival. Like many festivals in recent years and to increase the safety of those attending, several of the conditions of entry have had to be changed.

Festivalgoers will no longer be able to bring chairs in to the site. This decision has been taken based on feedback from previous festivals and to ensure the safety of festivalgoers in the unlikely event that the arena needs to be evacuated in an emergency.

Organisers have ensured that there will be plenty of picnic tables and hay-bales, in areas away from the main arena, so that people who need to can take a rest.

Another main change that organisers have had to make is to allow only sealed food and snacks into the site to avoid people smuggling in contraband.

There have also been some changes to the layout of the festival with a larger space created around the Discovery Stage which has been made possible by the relocation of the wrist-banding and search lanes area.

The weather forecast is looking good so people are reminded to wear suitable clothing, bring and apply sunscreen and make sure they stay hydrated, there will be a number of free fresh water-points for people to use.