While The Brickmakers in Norwich remains closed, music lovers will still be able to enjoy Brickfest this year as it will take place at the Norfolk Showground instead.
The event is back for its 14th year in 2020 and normally runs across three stages in the venue, located in Sprowston Road, with around 1,200 people coming through the doors over 12 hours.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, landladies Charley South, Pam South and Emma Rose shut the doors in March and while it is also a pub, they decided not to reopen for drinks on July 4 as it isn’t viable unless live music returns.
The trio had resigned themselves to the fact that Brickfest would need to take a hiatus this year, but thankfully a phone call from local events promoter Danny Banthorpe saved the day.
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Mr Banthorpe, who has been running drive-in cinema screenings at the Norfolk Showground this summer, said he was putting together a programme of outdoor shows for August and September.
Summertime Social has now been announced for the Showground and Brickfest was the first event to be revealed and will run from 12pm to 9pm on Monday, August 31.
To adhere to social distancing there will be roped out areas that can sit two or four people, or up to six with two children under 15 who go free.
The twelve bands performing are Bad Touch, The Bloodshake Chorus, The Floating Greyhounds, The Collective, Counterfeit Brits, Chocolate Skasouls, Blind Tiger, The Glamtastics, Beautiful Dangerous, The Claire Barker Band, Fat ‘n’ Furious and Southbound.
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Charley South said: “There will be two stages and the idea is that each band will do a 45-minute set on one and then the next act will follow straight away on the other so we can deep-clean and keep the music constant.
“It is really encouraging and testament to how much people miss live music that we have sold a third of tickets in 24 hours.
“We are also asking people to buy tickets through the link on social media pages of the individual bands as the more they sell the more money they get.”
Attendees will need to bring their own chairs and while they can’t bring food and drink, there will be a fully-stocked bar and Eating Street Market with local vendors.
Tickets start at £30 for two people and the main ticket link is summertimesocial.musthavetickets.co.uk
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