Kenilworth Show to create mini festival vibe with new live music stage
Warwickshire’s largest one-day agricultural show hopes to hit the right notes when it hosts a live music stage for the first time in its distinguished history.
Some of the region’s finest musicians, including vintage singer Helen Pearson and rising star Jessie Lea, will perform on The Trailer Stage at this year’s eagerly-awaited Kenilworth Show.
Helen, based in Bromsgrove, will deliver a headline set packed full of classics from the 1930s through to the 1970s, with one or two modern-day hits sprinkled in for good measure.
Taylor Swift-inspired Jessie, from Easenhall, near Rugby, will perform a mix of country-pop originals and ‘lots of upbeat, well-known covers’. Her performance at the Kenilworth Show, which takes place on the Stoneleigh Park estate on Saturday, May 31, will be her first since the release on Spotify of her second single It’s Always Been You.
Show visitors can also expect music from swing specialists The Gary Bell Band, male and female dancing troupe Hereburgh Morris and more.
Show Director Charlie Weetman said the presence of a live entertainments stage would add a new dimension to the event.
He said: “We’ve been treated to some wonderful performances from local musicians down the years.
“We’ve got another cracking line up of local acts this year, but this time we’ve gone the extra mile so more visitors can enjoy the music.
“The Trailer Stage, which is being overseen by the brilliant Adam Beresford-Browne, will add a really nice dynamic to the show and help to make it feel a bit like a mini festival.
"Look out Glastonbury.”
Organised by the Kenilworth and District Agricultural Society, the Kenilworth Show is a celebration of farming life and features a wide range of attractions, including livestock shows, equestrian events, machinery displays and various competitions.
The show has been running since 1947 and usually attracts around 12,000 people.
This year’s event promises to be extra special after the 2024 edition had to be cancelled due to the organisers' inability to secure the same venue they had used for the previous two years.
For more information about the show and to book tickets, which are free for under-12s, visit https://www.kenilworthshow.co.uk/