THREE friends from Barrow promise to give the town a day and night like it’s never seen before when the inaugural Pitch Up Festival takes place this summer.
Business partners Joe Jackson, James Howden and James Bonner have founded the fast growing Pitch Up Events company and are the brains behind the event which will take place on Saturday 21st May at Barrow Football Club’s grounds, The Dunes Hotel Stadium .
They say the festival will be all about great music, food and a lively festival atmosphere; but will also bring something great back to the community.
The line-up includes chart-topping and award-winning DJ and rapper Tom Zanetti, Bad Boy Chiller Crew, known for their energetic sets, and Kendals LOWES, voted BBC Radio 1’s Dance Vocalist of the Year 2021. There will also be a set of rising stars including Wallis and The Silver Bars and city favorites Mad 4 It, one of the UK’s top Oasis tribute acts.
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Joe said: “It’s going to be an energetic party like Barrow has never seen. We want to invite the best local artists alongside international names to give the festival a lot of exposure.
“If that’s not enough, Sakura will be there to ‘level’ your festival makeup and outfit to really get in the mood!
“We hope there is something for everyone – all we need now is for Barrow AFC to stay in the football league and it will be an extra celebration.”
This isn’t the first event Joe, James and James have organized together under the name Pitch Up Events. They staged a Euro 2020 fan zone with a big screen, live music and great food vendors at Holker Old Boys Football Club last year. The party atmosphere her guests created quickly caught on and tickets to her events are now selling out fast. They have also hosted Halloween and Oktoberfest events with the aim of bringing people together during difficult times.
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Joe said: “No one came through the doors via lockdown sports clubs. Using their site for events meant we could give them publicity and exposure, and provide some much-needed funds.
“We’re passionate about giving back and that’s why we will also be donating a portion of the profits to St. Mary’s Hospice, which has helped all of our families in some way, and to Alike, a community for people living with cancer.”
Joe and James Bonner have been friends since school and both became professional footballers – Joe at Burnley and James at Lancashire rivals Blackburn.
When Joe’s football career ended with leukaemia, he went to university in London and is now in remission from cancer and works in investment banking in the capital. James has since given up his career and is now working as a consultant in the nuclear industry. James Howden works as an engineer for Rolls-Royce Nuclear and also co-owns a local gym and coffee shop.
Tickets for the event are limited to 5,000 and are available now at eventim.co.uk priced at £33. The gates open at 12pm and the festival ends at 11pm.
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