South Tyneside Unveils Mega Line Up for This Year's Summer Festival

Iconic boy bands, a TV legend and the music of one of the world's best loved groups will help make this year's This Is South Tyneside Festival's Sunday line-ups one of the best ones yet.

The annual free concerts at South Shields' Bents Park always draws packed crowds and this year will be no exception, with a stellar programme of music on offer.

The concerts will kick off on 9 July with British pop band, The Vamps, who as well as having a string of hits in their own right, have supported everyone from Taylor Swift to McFly.

The following Sunday (16 July) Jason Donovan will be taking to the stage, performing some of his best loved hits from across the years.

Then on Sunday 23 July, the music of global superstars Abba will be brought to the stage, courtesy of Björn Again, who has been wowing audiences across the world for more than 30 years.

The final show - on Sunday 30 July - will see Boyzlife performing, featuring ex-Westlife singer, Brian McFadden and Boyzone's Keith Duffy.

The month of shows - which attract up to 20,000 visitors - is one of the many highlights of this year's festival, which will launch with the live music series at Sandhaven Amphitheatre throughout June, followed by the annual Summer Parade on Saturday 1 July.

Brass band concerts at Sandhaven amphitheatre along with Proms in the Park - also at Bents Park - are just some of the other events lined up to ensure a busy programme of activities for people of all ages throughout the summer months.

Cllr Pat Hay, Mayor of South Tyneside, believes this will be one of the best festivals to date.

"Every year we are delighted to announce fantastic performers and a packed programme of events," she said.

"This year is certainly no exception and we have some absolutely incredible acts - all of which have an international reputation - who will be appearing at Bents Park.

"There's something for people of all ages and we imagine that once again we will see record crowds every Sunday."

The This Is South Tyneside Festival is supported by a wide range of sponsors, including Port of Tyne, Minchella & Co, Colmans, Ramside Event Catering, Ocean Beach Pleasure Beach and Metro Radio and Greatest Hits.

Admission to the Sunday Concerts is free. However, a limited number of Priority tickets are available from Ticketmaster or Shop @ The Word for £6 per person to guarantee access on the day. Tickets will only be available for sale until seven days before each concert from Ticketmaster, or up to 12noon on the day before each concert from Shop @ The Word.

Residents and visitors are advised to keep checking the festival website at www.southtynesidefestival.co.uk or follow South Tyneside Events on social media: Facebook (South Tyneside Events) and on Twitter @STynesideEvents to keep up to date with information around all the events.