Golden Eagle Music Festival set for Anchorsholme, Blackpool, with packed bill

The Golden Eagle Music Festival - a successor to the long-running Eaglefest - is being staged over the weekend of May 24-26.

It takes its name from the venue playing host to it, the Golden Eagle pub on Warren Drive, Anchorsholme. As well as being a celebration oflocal live music, the festival will raise money for Brian House and Trinity Hospice.

Entry to the event is free but donations would be welcome.

The original Eaglefest was co-founded back in 2011 by Ian Fletcher, whose son Lucas wanted to pay tribute to much-loved guitar tutor Phil Roberts, who had become seriously ill and sadly later died, aged only in his 40s.

Lucas had planned a small fundraiser for the ward treating Phil and the Golden Eagle heard of the plans and offered the use of the pub.

Ian, now best known for running the Waterloo Music Bar in Blackpool, had connections with local bands and Eaglefest was born.

Poignantly, many of the young musicians in the inaugural festival had been taught by Phil.

The event has gone from strength to strength and become a mainstay in the local music calendar.

This year's festival is being co-ordinated by a new team, lead by Simon Knowles, and is being hosted by Paul Robathan, known locally as a long-serving staff member at the Bispham Sainsburys store.

The packed line-up includes: Boomshanka, Graeme the King of Bispham; The Coustics; Upbeat Rock Academy; Stevi Gregg and Andy Hall; Touch the Pearl; The Ian Hooper Band;The Great TRune Robbery; Route 55; The Jeps, Three Blokes, Sweetknuckle, Death Trails, Enya Lousie Walsh, Chique, The Cracked and more.