Barrow festival headlined by Jake Bugg expects 5,000 visitors

Final preparations are underway for the Coast Roads Festival at Barrow Park with Jake Bugg, Ibiza in Symphony, K-Klass, Jackmaster, and Kerrang'd as the main headliners. 

The festival made its debut in July 2022 at Aldingham Fields but was unable to take place last year.

The two-day contemporary music and arts event, which celebrates a range of established and emergent local and national talent, is returning in force this year expecting 2,500 visitors on both Saturday and Sunday.

There will be a main stage area featuring the headliners, a dance tent area with several DJ performances and a local stage where festival goers will have the chance to support the town's musicians as well as alternative acts.

Site map of Barrow Park for Coast Roads (Image: Submitted) Malcolm Lingard says the aim of the festival is for Barrow people to experience a festival 'on their doorstep.'

"When you live where we do going to a festival in the UK is very costly - it is almost like going on holiday," he said.

"It is a chance to bring national acts to Barrow which we don't get that many of. 

"We are just excited to do it in the park. It has never been done before - not an event on this scale - but it is just thanks to the local community and the local council who have been brilliant helping us in every step of the way."

When asked if it was challenging to book the headliners to perform in a festival that was only taking time for the second year, Malcolm explained they pride themselves on making sure they look after the acts.

He said: "If you have a good pedigree of looking after national scale acts then agents will know that you are professional so we have always made share that the acts are well looked after, that they have everything they want backstage. If you do that you have a good reputation with agents.

"When they are on site Barrow people are quite friendly and I think that the bands have always responded to that."

Festival goer at Coast Roads in 2022 (Image: Ian Allington) The festival cared to make it as local as possible, with all food vendors and alcohol suppliers being from the area.

Malcolm was also thankful for the support from local businesses in sponsoring the event. 

The organisation is donating £10,000 worth of free tickets to disadvantaged families which will be dispersed this week via Project John, Barrow Island Community Hub, Westmorland and Furness Council.

Local charities and emergency services will also be in attendance at the weekend. 

Malcolm revealed they are planning to make the festival an annual event.

So far 60 per cent of the tickets have already been sold. No tickets will be available at the door.

To purchase your ticket to Coast Roads on July 27 and 28 visit their website here.