Rugby town centre comes alive with the sound of music

Following hot on the heels of a beach transforming the town centre into Rugby-on-Sea, a host of bands and solo artists perform on Saturday 28 August as part of the council's Welcome Back Fund summer entertainment programme.

Alternative folk outfit Diego Brown and The Good Fairy, the idiosyncratic new wave disco of Pink Shebab and indie stalwarts turned multi-media alchemists Jackdaw With Crowbar perform outside Rugby Art Gallery and Museum from 1.30pm.

At St Andrew's Church Garden, local singer/songwriters perform from 12.30pm, with James Grady, Jo Litten, Ed Creyton and Jen Elvy joining Amelia Gascoigne-Roberts, Ross Edward, Rob Barnett and Steve Litten on the bill from 12.30pm.

Caldecott Park celebrates the eclectic with Dave Broadfield, Tom Jennings, Veronika Rauchfussova and Louis Scheur, and Angel's Trumpet performing amid the park's trees from 12.30pm before Will French and The Unseen bring the bill to a close.

And visitors to the town centre seeking an escape from the hustle and bustle can chill out in Regent Place to the sound of Nash Meghji's sitar, with performances at 2.05pm and 3.10pm.

Before the bank holiday, the circus rolls into Rugby town centre this Saturday (21 August), with an escape artist, contortionist, fire performer and stilt walkers performing at a number of locations from 2pm.

And next week Caldecott Park opens its outdoor cinema, with free screenings of family favourites and Disney classics at 11am, 3pm and 7pm each day from Monday (23 August) to Thursday (26 August).

With limited places available for screenings, free tickets must be booked in advance.

To book cinema tickets, and to find out information and showtimes for all Rugby Summertime events, visit www.therugbytown.co.uk/summertime

Cllr Jill Simpson-Vince, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for growth and investment, said: "The Rugby Summertime programme has offered a range of free family events during August, and with the town's vibrant music scene restricted to online platforms during the pandemic, we're delighted to dedicate a day to live music in the town centre.

"Rugby Summertime forms part of a package of events and initiatives to support the town centre and the borough's economic recovery from the pandemic, all funded by the Government's Welcome Back Fund."

The Welcome Back Fund distributed money from the European Regional Development Fund to promote a safe return to the high street following the pandemic.