SPICE GIRL LEADS POP SUPERSTARS PERFORMING AS PART OF COVENTRY FOOD FESTIVAL’S ‘BIG FOODIE WEEKEND’

UPDATED – 18th June (see below)

Coventry BID is thrilled to announce today that Spice Girl, Melanie C, and M People’s Heather Small have been confirmed as the headline acts at Coventry’s “Big Foodie Weekend”, on Friday 23rd July and Saturday 24th July.

The pop superstars will be joined by artists Karen Harding, Rozalla, Shena, Booty Luv, Big Brovaz, Katherine Ellis and DJ Paul Morrell, bringing the party atmosphere to the Food Festival throughout the weekend.

Melanie C will be leading the line-up on the Friday evening, showcasing her DJing skills with an exclusive set.  Melanie will be joined by R&B singer/songwriter Karen Harding (‘Say Something’)  90’s pop sensation Rozalla (’Everyody’s Free’ ); legendary disco and house vocalist, Shena, and Coventry’s very own DJ, Paul Morrell.

Heather Small – the unmistakable voice of M People – will be the headline act on the Saturday evening.  Naughties acts Big Brovaz and Booty Luv are also set to perform, along with Katherine Ellis (Freemasons vocalist), rounded off by another blistering set from Paul Morell.

Trish Willetts, Director at Coventry BID, says: “We are beyond excited to be welcoming so many amazing music acts to be part of the ‘Big Foodie Weekend’ in July.  When we started planning the event, we never dreamed we would be able to attract the likes of Melanie C and Heather Small, but we aimed high, and it has paid off.  This really will be a treat!

“Paul Morrell has done an amazing job in helping us secure such a high calibre of performers and we can’t wait to bring the joy to our great city this summer with lots of delicious food, cheeky cocktails, cooking demonstrations and now, sensational music, too.

“Of course, it’s our hope that everything will be back to normal at this point, but we are also working closely with our partners to ensure we are COVID-compliant and able to welcome people back safely.”

Paul Morrell, DJ & Artist Liaison for the Food Festival, adds: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Trish and the Coventry BID team on bringing the music element of the Festival to life.  I, along with many other people who work in the industry, have missed this side of the business so much and I’m very excited to be getting stuck into planning events again and can’t wait to get on that stage!”

Following the huge success of the Food Festival in 2019, where the city welcomed thousands* of additional visitors into the centre, the Coventry BID team is on track to make this year’s event bigger and better than ever – so much so, that they’ve re-named it as the “Big Foodie Weekend” due to the scale of entertainment on offer!  Since the official announcement of its return last month, there has been a great reaction and spaces are filling up fast.

Running from Friday 23rd – Sunday 25th July, the Big Foodie Weekend aims to host the largest selection of artisan food producers in the region. TV Celebrity chefs, Theo Randall and Lesley Waters, will be leading cooking demonstrations throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday.

There will also be dedicated gluten-free and vegan produce, and visitors will be able to eat their way around the world with stunning street food and some of the finest producers of cheese, chutneys, eggs and sweet treats – all served with pop-up bars, cocktails, demonstrations and, of course, live music.

For more information, please visit www.coventryfoodfestival.com

* The 2019 Food Festival saw the city centre footfall reach over 140,000 over the three-day period, with a 20% increase in visitors thanks to the Food Festival.

Coventry’s ‘Big Foodie Weekend’ Rescheduled

Further to the latest Government announcement regarding the four-week delay to the next stage of the roadmap, the Coventry BID team have made the tough decision to reschedule the ‘Big Foodie Weekend’, which was due to take place from the 23rd – 25th July across the city.

BID Chairman Andy Talbot, comments: “Whilst this is obviously disappointing news for a lot of people – ourselves included – it is not a decision we have taken lightly.  But, we must remember that we are all still in the grips of a global pandemic.

“The health and safety of all those involved – and planning to attend – the ‘Big Foodie Weekend’ is paramount.  With this week’s Government announcement that the next stage of the roadmap is to be delayed until at least the 19th July – just a few days before the intended start of the event – postponing the ‘Big Foodie Weekend’ was the most sensible and safest thing to do”.

Assistant BID Manager, Adrian Woolford adds; “We are continuing to work hard behind the scenes to ensure that we can come back with an even bigger and better offering next year when we return, 17-19th June.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their patience and understanding over the last few days as we’ve reached out to all parties involved. Anyone who has purchased tickets for the evening music events will be contacted directly via the ticketing agency regarding refunds.”

“Although this is not the news we wanted to share, we remain proud of the events we continue to bring to Coventry, including the stunning In Paint We Trust and The Show Windows, as part of our City of Culture 2021 celebration year.  These are fantastic legacy projects that will put Coventry in good stead for when all venues can reopen. We will not let Covid beat Cov.”

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