Prepare for a night of laughter and song at arboretum to celebrate armed forces

The National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas in Staffordshire will be hosting a special evening of entertainment celebrating the service of the Armed Forces community on Saturday, June 29 as part of its Armed Forces Week activity programme.

The "Bostin Comedy and a Right Good Singalong" evening will feature veteran graduates of RBL’s ‘Recovery through Comedy’ programme, New Orleans-style brass band Bostin Brass, and MASSAOKE, an incredible live band playing hairbrush anthems from across the decades, accompanied by giant video lyrics.

Recovery Through Comedy is a group of veterans who are also comedians, having graduated from the Royal British Legion’s Recovery through Comedy course which used comedy to promote resilience and support mental health while improving well-being.

The group has performed across the UK, including at the iconic Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Bostin Brass is a New Orleans-style brass band based in Birmingham and has been playing soul-music through the streets of Birmingham for the best part of a decade.

From their beginnings as a marching band in Digbeth, the group have taken their own brand of Brummie infused second-line, Gumbo with extra HP sauce, and continue to wow audiences in mardi gras parades, concert halls and international jazz festivals.

MASSAOKE has a global following, having performed everywhere from New York to Australia, and across all of Europe, playing to huge crowds at Festivals including Glastonbury, Latitude ,and the Edinburgh Fringe.

The live band brings rockstar peformances while encouraging maximum audience participation.

Maria Howes, head of marketing and business development at the National Memorial Arboretum, said: “You can expect laughter, soul, and infinite air guitar at this ‘bostin’ evening of entertainment at the National Memorial Arboretum.

“Bostin Comedy and a Right Good Singalong will provide the perfect opportunity to gather family and friends for a celebration of the contributions made by all members of our Armed Forces Community.

"Just make sure that you’re ready to laugh-out-loud and stretch those vocal cords!”

Supported by the Royal British Legion, the event offers special discounted tickets for serving Armed Forces personnel and veterans at £12 per person.

A maximum of six tickets can be booked per serving member or veteran. A military or veteran ID must be shown on entry by at least one member of the party.

Standard Adult tickets cost £24 and child tickets (under 16s) are available for £18.

Due to the nature of some of the content, the event is not recommended for children under 12.

Doors open at 6.30pm on June 29 with the first act starting at 7pm and performances concluding at 11pm.

The event will take place outdoors in Heroes’ Square at the Arboretum with food and drink available from restaurant and bar facilities.

It is standing-only, with a dedicated Access Area to ensure accessibility for everyone.

To learn more about "Bostin Comedy and A Right Good Singalong" and to book tickets, go to thenma.org.uk/what's-on/events/bostin'-comedy-and-a-right-good-singalong.