Local promoters who began staging events in pub gardens to stage Nearly Norwich featuring 15 top tribute acts in the city centre park in June.

Norwich Evening News: Ed Sheeran Experience by Jack Shepherd. Photo: Top Cat MediaEd Sheeran Experience by Jack Shepherd. Photo: Top Cat Media (Image: Archant)

A family friendly two-day music festival featuring the sounds of artists from Ed Sheeran to Bob Marley is to be staged in Norwich in June.

Nearly Norwich, which will feature performances from top tribute bands, will take place in Chapelfield Gardens on June 16-17.

The locally run mini-festival in Norwich's city centre park is the biggest event yet in Norfolk from promotors who started by organising music events at local pubs.

Norwich Evening News: Nearly Norwich will be at Chapelfield Gardens in June. Photo: Top Cat MediaNearly Norwich will be at Chapelfield Gardens in June. Photo: Top Cat Media (Image: Archant)

The history of the The Nearly Festival in Norfolk goes back to humble origins with garden parties at the Gibraltar Gardens pub in Norwich and Lenwade House.

Organsier Danny Banthorpe said: 'Over the last two years we have expanded to organising larger scale two-day festivals at Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds, Castle Park in Colchester and Holywells Park in Ipswich. This summer we are also be launch at the Suffolk Showground in Ipswich too.

'We are locally based and taking our project to the bigger stage at a time when a lot of national operators and promoters are coming into the region.'

Norwich Evening News: Nearly Norwich Kids Zone with dance mats and screen . Photo: Top Cat MediaNearly Norwich Kids Zone with dance mats and screen . Photo: Top Cat Media (Image: TopCat Media)

The Norwich event will boast a line-up 15 bands and artists over the two days, performing live on a large stage.

On June 16 that will include Jack Shepherd – aka The Ed Sheeran Experience - who has featured on BBC3, The Trenchtown Experience, an eight-piece band playing the hits of Bob Marley & The Wailers, Special Kinda Madness, the Kaiser Thiefs and Blur tribute band Blurb. Buzz D'Angelo will be singing classics from soul legend James Brown and The Prince Experience will perform music by the late great funk master.

Meanwhile local music favourite Lee Vann will also stake to the stage – effectively being his own tribute band.

Norwich Evening News: Nearly Norwich will be at Chapelfield Gardens in June. Photo: Top Cat MediaNearly Norwich will be at Chapelfield Gardens in June. Photo: Top Cat Media (Image: Archant)

The line-up on June 17 takes in Queen tribute Flash, Oasis wannbes Definitely MightBe, Homegrown playing UB40 tracks, Ryan Elliot performing Olly Murs, In The Mix bringing to life Little Mix hits and Leonnie Voss as Rihanna.

The event is billed as family festival and will also include a dedicated Kids' Zone, as well as a street food market featuring local vendors, a 'Pub in the Park', craft stalls, charities and more.

• The Nearly Festival takes place at Chapelfield Gardens in Norwich on June 16-17, adult day tickets from £12.50, under-5s free. For more details visit nearlyfestival.com

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