Fantastic Free Festival

Audlem Festival kicks off tonight and it's all free – the music, poetry and art. Not a single event has an entrance charge over the five days through to Bank Holiday Monday, 29th May.

How can it be free, you may well ask. Well, pick up a programme (also free) and just look at all the businesses supporting it. There's dozens ranging from one-man (or woman) bands, local shops, pubs and many more including major sponsors KMF, United Carpets and Eagle Renewables. They all contribute and that covers much of the cost, which is also helped by donations from Audlem Parish Council and Cheshire East Council.

The Festival committee chairman, Ralph Warburton says that everyone should be really grateful for all the support from the sponsors and advertisers. Without that support, the Festival would not happen.

On top of that, the hard work of organising everything, include all the heavy lifting of stages, sound equipment and much else is by an enthusiastic band of local volunteers. They may be volunteers, but everything, year in and year out, is so professional that performers return year after year.

The village will be packed with people having a good time throughout next weekend. If you haven't been to the Audlem festival before, do come – you won't regret it.

Tonight

It's become a Festival favourite, the Poetry Slam, where poets from around the country compete in front of a lively audience.

The Poetry Slam at the Bridge Inn opens this year's Audlem Music & Arts Festival this evening at 7.00pm. The pub is likely to be packed so get yourself there early for a fun-packed evening.

There follows five days of music, art and poetry at venues throughout the village with over eighty live music acts covering pretty well every genre.

This evening also has the Audlem bell ringers attempting a quarter peal from 7.00pm. This will entail at leat 1,250 changes of the six bells in St James' tower and will last about 45 minutes.

There's music too tonight with Sam Lyon at the Lord Combermere (from 8.00p); Dave Nettleton at the Shroppie Fly from 9.00pm and Midswegan (featuring the ever-popular Fluff) from 9.30pm at the Lord C.

Camping at the Festival

The Festival camping field is right in the middle of the village. Find postcode CW30DX and take the A529 south to Market Drayton . The field entrance is on the left heading south.
Turn up and find a pitch. £5 per pitch per night or £25 for the 5 nights.
Someone will find you for payment
Tents, camper vans and caravans welcome. Please take your rubbish with you and clean up after your lovely pets.
Toilets & Elsan disposal but no showers.

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