THOUSANDS of people descended on New Brighton to attend an arts festival.

The New Brighton Arts Festival, spearheaded by Holy Family Catholic Multi Trust, recently returned to the seaside town for a week of activities and events championing creativity, collaboration, and community spirit. 

Across the week, the festival welcomed more than 3,750 attendees across the week and showcased the artistic talents of 370 choir singers, 110 primary-aged theatre performers, 16 poets, 11 comedians, and 25 music acts. 

The week-long arts festival kicked off on Monday, July 8 with Sing Wirral taking over the Floral Pavilion.

Daily events took place across New Brighton, including a comedy night with Hot Water Comedy Club comedic resident Phil Chapman, hosting the evening’s festivities.

The festival welcomed writer and performer Ashleigh Nugent, for a spoken word evening at the Oakland Gallery, with local young people showcasing their writing skills alongside Ashleigh. 

The penultimate event saw the return of Friday Night Live, which invited students from across the Trust’s secondary schools, St John Plessington Catholic College and St Mary’s Catholic College, and other local Wirral secondary schools, to deliver a night of live music. 

The festivities culminated in the One Community Street Party, hosted on Saturday, July 13.

The free event featured two live music stages, with  Liverpool rock band Space, taking the headline spot and performing their chart hits, ‘Female of the Species’ and ‘The Ballad of Tom Jones’. 

The kids and creative zone offered a range of free activities for children, and performances from Samba Livre Liverpool Brazilian Dancers, the Katumba Drummers, and Movema Dance, delivered dance workshops.

CEO of Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust, Andy Moor, said: “We are incredibly proud of the success of the New Brighton Arts Festival. 

“The event was an opportunity for local artists, performers and musicians to showcase their incredible talents in the spirit of creativity, collaboration and community. The festival’s emphasis on community revitalisation through cultural initiatives was palpable, with young performers collaborating with local organisations and signed and emerging bands. 

“The One Community Street Party was the perfect way to end the festival and further demonstrated the impact of cultural initiatives on the regeneration of New Brighton.

“A massive thank you to all the young people, businesses, and performers who made this a truly unforgettable event.”