IN PICTURES: CeeLo Green and Paul Young launch Lytham Festival

This year’s festival – starring Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Bryan Adams, a cast of stars from the worlds of pop, the West End and the UK’s largest ever outdoor cinema screening of Star Wars – is less than nine weeks away.

And to get music lovers in the mood, CeeLo Green and Paul Young this week played to packed houses at Lytham’s Lowther Pavilion.

On Monday, Paul played to a sell-out audience with a chart-topping back catalogue, which featured such hits as Wherever I lay My Hat, Love of the Common People and Everytime You Go Away.

He was followed on Tuesday by CeeLo who performed a soul and R&B set that was packed with hits Working Class Heroes (Work), Bright Lights Bigger City, Closet Freak, and the cult singalong smash Forget You.

After a rendition of his 2006 worldwide hit Crazy, CeeLo paid tribute to the excited audience.

He said: “You are such a wonderful crowd. It means so much for us to come from the other side of the world to play for you tonight. And we don’t mind getting sweaty up here for you, we’re having such a good time.”

The concerts in Lytham were presented by Lytham Festival organisers and promoters Cuffe and Taylor as a taster of the fantastic acts appearing at the week-long festival this summer (August 1-7).

Lytham Festival Director Peter Taylor said: “We programmed two fantastic nights of live music at Lowther Pavillion to kick-start our amazing programme of events for Lytham Festival this August.

“Both Paul Young and CeeLo Green are two great acts that appeal to very different audiences and that is the appeal of Lytham Festival.

“Over the course of Lytham Festival week we have music genres that will appeal to everyone from classical recitals and World Jazz to our main headliners including Bryan Adams and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

“When you then add world renowned musical theatre stars such as Ramin Karimloo and Lea Salonga to that mix as well as the UK’s largest ever screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on a 144sq m screen, then you’ve got an incredible mix and we look forward an amazing Lytham Festival 2016.”

Tickets for this year’s Lytham Festival – August 1 to August 7 – are available from www.lythamfestival.com