Slade Weekend: Everything you need to know about the popular celebration of Wolverhampton music legends - from tickets prices and clothing to music history

The annual Slade Fans Convention sees fans from across the Black Country and further afield come to Wolverhampton to enjoy a weekend of everything Slade.

Slade were named the most popular band of the 1970s based on sales of singles, including 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart and have continued to be part of the nation's music scene ever since.

As the convention gets underway, we've taken a look at how long the convention has been going on, what people can expect from it, whether members of the band will be there and what the band means to the organisers.

How long has the Slade Fans Convention been running for?

The festival first started in the 1980s and ran on and off for years, before becoming a permanent fixture on the city's social calendar in 2015, running every year except for 2020, when it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It traditionally runs at the Wolverhampton Arts Centre on Dunkley Street over a two-day period, while other venues also hold events.

What events are taking place as part of the convention?

Event organisers said they try to mix it up every year and feature different exhibits and events during the weekend, which this year runs from Friday, September 26 to Saturday, September 27 at the Wolverhampton Arts Centre.

The Lockworks Cinema will be holding a special 50th anniversary viewing of "Slade in Flame", a musical film starring the band which charts the history of "Flame", a fictitious group in the late 1960s who are picked up by a marketing company and taken to the top, only to break up at their zenith.

There are also tribute bands taking to the stage of the Wolverhampton Arts Centre as part of the convention on Friday and Saturday, including Slade UK, who are performing for the first time in six years, on Friday, and Sladest, who have headlined the festival in 2023 and 2024. 

How many people are expected to attend the convention and where do they come from?

The Slade Fans Convention sells an average of 250 tickets each year and organisers has said they are expecting a similar number in 2025.

Fans at the convention have travelled from all over the UK and there are even some international visitors, with one woman having flown from the USA, four men from Germany, a man from Spain and a group coming over from Sweden.

What are the odds on the first person to shout "It's Christmas!" at the convention and how many people dress up?

Organisers have said that there will be a shout at some point as people get into the spirit of the event, but has asked people not to throw toilet paper due to the mess it makes.

While not many people dress up as a member of the band, there will be plenty of glittery and sparkly clothing and glam rock outfits from those taking part.

Will any members of the band be appearing at the convention?

Organisers have said that it is unlikely this year, but said that members of the band such as Dave Hill have appeared in the past.

What does the event and the band mean to those taking part in the convention?

Andy Boden, who has been part of the festival since its inception in the 1980s, said: "It still sort of sends a tingle down my neck when I hear Noddy Holder belting out any of the songs.

"I have been a fan of the band since 1972, so it's been a very long standing relationship and we have all these people who travel over every year, so it's a far reaching group we have."