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Happy Mondays and Friendly Fires confirmed in Wolverhampton Creation Day festival line-up

The line-up for a major new music festival in Wolverhampton has been announced after the event was postponed due to Covid-19.

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The Happy Mondays will be performing at Creation Day in West Park

The city's first ever Creation Day Festival had been due to take place at West Park in May – but it was put back until 2022.

And the revised line-up features some of the main acts due to perform last year, including Happy Mondays, Echo & The Bunnymen, Friendly Fires, Ash and Black Grape.

The festival has also been renamed the Utilita Creation Day festival after a three-year sponsorship deal was signed with energy firm Utilita.

The two-day event has been organised by the council in partnership with Toura Toura Festivals and Alan McGee, who founded the iconic Creation Records label in 1983 and has worked with the likes of Primal Scream, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Oasis.

Next year’s festival will see stars from Creation Records join forces with other well-known bands to perform their biggest hits. Performers playing on Saturday are rock band IDLES, Echo & the Bunnymen, Cast, Glasvegas and Echobelly as well as new artists Shambolics, The Illicits and Clockworks.

Acts lined up for Sunday are 90s legends Happy Mondays, Friendly Fires, Ash, Black Grape, Sleeper, The Wedding Present as well as up and coming performers Marquis Drive, Grandma’s House and Cat SFX.

It will be the first time that frontman Shaun Ryder has performed with his two bands, Happy Mondays and Black Grape, at one festival.

Mr McGee said: “I'm very pleased to be asked again by City of Wolverhampton Council & Toura Toura Festivals to curate the Utilita Creation Day Festival 2022.

“It’s great to see that most of the bands that missed out on playing due to Covid restrictions this year, have all agreed to come back and play in 2022 with the fantastic addition of IDLES."

Other attractions at the two-day event include a fairground and a wide variety of food and drink stalls. Support for festival goers with access requirements will be available.

Councillor Steve Evans, Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for city environment and climate change, said: “We have some fantastic names on the bill and it promises to be an amazing attraction to look forward to in 2022.

“After the past year, we’ve all needed a light at the end of the tunnel and we all deserve a chance to enjoy ourselves. For fans of great music, Utilita Creation Day Festival offers that opportunity.

“It’s also one of the ways we can boost our city economy and show our visitors the fantastic events we have to offer."

Jem Maidment, Utilita’s chief marketing officer, said: "As a long-time backer, we understand the social, cultural and economic importance of the UK’s live music industry – and the battering it has taken during the pandemic. That’s why we are truly thrilled to be playing a part in its recovery by sponsoring the most exciting new festival of the decade."

Existing tickets for the festival will automatically transfer to the 2022 event. Customers who would like a refund or wish to move their tickets between days can request a refund from Ticketmaster directly via My Account and then rebook.

To buy tickets and keep up to date with news on the Utilita Creation Day Festival, visit reationdayfestival.com or follow Utilita Creation Day Festival on social media.

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