Alan Carr and Richard Coles urge residents to attend Northampton Music Festival this weekend

More than 75 acts will be performing across nine stages at the event on Sunday, September 6.

In two video messages filmed by the pair, they encourage residents to head into town this weekend to enjoy the event.

Carr said: “Hey Northampton, how you doing? Listen, what you doing on the sixth of September, get you’re a*** down to Northampton town centre because it is of course the Northampton Music Festival.

“Nine different stages all over the town centre all playing different kinds of music.

“And guess what, it’s completely free. Amazing.

“Who knows, you might even see me outside of the Grosvenor Centre. This is Northampton, it wouldn’t be the first time.”

Alfie Castley will headline the Main Stage in the Market Square at 8pm and performing throughout the day will be Opal, Freya Rose, Harry Walker, Lickle Jay, Soul Harmony Divas, Megaphoney, Kerryn Flaherty, the Northampton Musical Theatre Company and Chill Bill.

Aside from music in the Market Square, there will be the Rock Stage at The King Billy bar, the Beats Lyric & Poetry Stage at Encore Complex, the Student Showcase Stage in the Performing Room, the Acoustic Stage at V&B, the Hushed Stage at George’s Team Room, the Classical & World Fusion Stage at Northampton Museum and the Musical Theatre Stage at Royal & Derngate.

Rev Coles – who played in Bronski Beat but is best known as the multi-instrumentalist who partnered Jimmy Somerville in the Communards - added: “Oh to be in Northampton now that September’s here.

“Well, September the sixth, Sunday in fact, because the Northampton Music Festival and the town centre is going to be crammed with nine stages presenting all different kinds of music and it’s all absolutely free.

"So, get yourself down to the town centre m’duck, Sunday, the sixth of September, I’ll be there, I’ve got a date to meet Alan Carr outside of the Grosvenor Centre. Happy days are here again.”

Elsewhere across the festival, the Hushed Stage will be headlined by In Atoms at 5pm.

Throughout the day, there will also be sets by Maevis Darkhorse, Niall Skinner, Sia Asri, Velvet Engine, Nik Gray and Amii Dawes.

The Classical & World Fusion Stage will be headlined by The United African Association at 5.15pm with sets during the day by Rimini Reed, Liam Carter, Lufuno Ndou, The Tenor - Joshua Daniel and The Sound of Saudade.

The Musical Theatre Stage will be headlined by Chloe King at 4.45pm and there will also be sets by Odell Eady, the Northampton Musical Theatre Company, Cube Arts College, Selin Hara and Freya Browett.

The Rock Stage will be headlined by The Jackals at 5pm and there will also be sets by Silk Red, Marabar Caves and Blame Ceasar.

The Jazz Stage will be headlined by the Sheila Waterfield Trio at 5pm and during the day there will also be sets by NN Quartet, The Wayne Matthew Trio, Natasha Thompson and Mojo Mules.

The Acoustic Stage will be headlined by Libbie Prince at 5.30pm with Sarah Holman, Holly Hughes-Rowlands, Rebs, Ansell Philips, Meg Munro, Nate Stone, Linden, Allanzo, Kirsty & Gavin, Hannah Perry and the Jinx Singers also performing.

The Beats, Lyric & Poetry Stage will be headlined by Tony Ceaser at 5.40pm and there will be sets throughout the day by XL Shane, x-iT, Coulton, Tenchoo, Franq, P Flow, Flat line, Trademark Blud, Tayon & Legion, Jaymac, Sian Essam & Charlie Summer, Jay Orosz, Sai Asri, Kase the Myth, Loco Blax, Word Guerrilla, MLT, FFSYTHO and headliner Tony Ceasar who will perform from 5.40pm.

Finally, the Student Showcase Stage will be headlined by The Baskervilles at 5.30pm with sets by Godzella, Sarah & Alfie, Katie & Alfie, Liam and the Bagsters, Woodrow & Philip, Liam, Roddy & Chaz, Ellie Elise Alfie Chaz Hayden, doubleyellowlinesss, Metric Hex and Chill Bill.

Music on the nine stages begin from between midday and 1pm with full listings on the event’s website. Admission into all stages is free.

This year’s main stage headliner Alfie Castley previously supported Take That on their European tour in 2024 and opened for Callum Scott this year.

He has more than one million monthly listeners on Spotify and his latest EP, Armed & Dangerous, was released this month.

The EP features the title track alongside previous singles Cold, In My Head, Secrets and Forget About Us.

For more information about Northampton Music Festival, visit https://northamptonmusicfestival.co.uk