Star-studded music festival coming to Sandwell next year
A music festival bringing thousands of visitors to the Black Country will be held in Sandwell Valley Country Park next summer, according to a senior councillor.
Plans for the major event involving chart-topping stars were revealed by the Express & Star last year.
Now Sandwell Council's cabinet member Richard Marshall has confirmed progress has been positive and the park will host the festival next summer.
Bosses are finalising plans for the redevelopment of the park, which will ensure it is ready to host the event.
It comes in the wake of 2015’s Let’s Rock festival – an 80s music extravaganza that featured famous names including ABC, Kim Wilde, Nick Heyward and Holly Johnson.
Councillor Marshall said: "We are going to be turning Sandwell Valley into a big music venue.
"The plans are moving forward on that so that events can be held there next summer.
"We've got it all planned out and have easily got space for 60,000 people.
"At the moment we're just going through the surveys that we need to for traffic flow.
"We're pushing ahead with the plans so stuff will be held next year."
Sandwell Valley is the perfect location to cater for gig goers from both the north and south, according to Councillor Marshall.
And it could also play host to big sporting events in the coming years, he suggested.
Councillor Marshall said: "It's really exciting.
"We've also been in discussion with some sports organisations who want to use it for events.
"We are looking at turning it into a place to host all sports and leisure activities.
“The benefit of the Valley is we’ve got great transport links so it's easy for people to get to us."
The Let's Rock festival last year was hailed as a major success for the borough, drawing in crowds of up to 7,000.
As well as a headlining performance by the former frontman of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, other acts included Five Star, Midge Ure and Tiffany.
