The 13th Whitehaven Festival will open in Cumbria on 1st June as the largest event outside London to celebrate the 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
The legendary Whitehaven Festival continues to grow in popularity and this year its expected 300,000-plus visitors will be graced with a performance by the dazzling mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins and have the opportunity to participate in activities such as a cake baking competition, an air show and a chance to participate in the largest Diamond Jubilee event being held outside London.
The Whitehaven Festival 2012 runs from Friday 1 June to Sunday 3 June and attracts visitors from all over the UK and internationally. This year Katherine Jenkins is joined by the National Philharmonic Orchestra along with Anthony Inglis as conductor.
On Saturday 2 June the Festival presents ‘The Best of the 1970s’ with live performances from The Three Degree, The Real Thing, Odyssey, Les McKeons Bay City Rollers, Showaddy Waddy, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel.
The Whitehaven Festival prides itself in showcasing the ‘best of British’ and includes culinary delights from some UK celebrity chef Jean Christophe Novelli along with Ainsley Harriot and Coronation Street’s Sean Wilson (ex Martin Platt) who is now one of the UKs renowned cheese makers.
According to founder and organiser Gerard Richardson MBE, there will more acts announced in the next fortnight. Meanwhile, festival-goers are flocking in this year to see tall ships, air shows, street comedy, the best of Cumbria’s food producers and will be able to browse a giant Continental market.
Mr Richardson, who first established the festival in 1999, said: "Last year’s extravaganza attracted 330,000 separate visits to the harbourside in Whitehaven, Cumbria, and pumped £4m into the local economy.
"The festival is run by volunteers and as a result we have been able to bring more than £35m into the Whitehaven area since the festival’s inception.
"Being such a big part of the Diamond Jubilee celebration means 2012 is on track to being a landmark event and one of the big highlights in the UK festival calendar."
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