Why Merseyside music festival is set to break records this year

It started off as a mini music festival set up to raise village sports funds – but Rainford’s Picnic in the Park has grown into a massive Merseyside event that now attracts an audience from the whole of the UK.

This year, Rainford’s Picnic in the Park has added an extra evening to its calendar and plans to sell to capacity with hopes that it will grow from the original 500 people to more than 5,500, or beyond.

And with Pixie Lott set to headline on the Saturday night for the June event, organiser Phil Thomas says: “I think we’re going to break all our records this year.

“Last year we had 3,500 people at the event and this year we’re ready to go to 4,000 on the Saturday, and I think we’ll get around 1,500 on the Friday night.

“We’ve made it a weekend festival because it is so popular, and we are so excited with all the artists and bands we’ve booked. I genuinely think it’s going to be our biggest and best yet.”

Phil, who organises the event with wife Tara and Phil Lancaster, who’s a fellow director of The Picnic in the Park CIC, adds: “We never ever imagined it would be this big, but it’s amazing

“We started the festival in 2017 to support sports facilities in the village and it has grown every year since then.

“It’s definitely on the Merseyside music map and proof of that is how much easier it is now to book the big acts because people know who we are.

“It’s incredible.”

Having previously been only a day, Rainford’s Picnic in the Park will run on the Friday evening and all day Saturday this year, on June 6 and 7.

The Friday evening event is run separately by Phil and Tara’s other company, ukevents4u, which they established to create and run a range of events and will complement the full Picnic programme.

Shane Nolan – son of Coleen and EastEnders’ actor Shane Richie – who appeared at the first festival will kick off the Friday night, with other acts including an Oasis tribute band, Ben from Phats and Small, and Ultimate Coldplay.

Phil says: “They are amazing.  They sound like Coldplay, they look like Coldplay, they dance like Coldplay … they’re unbelievable.”

Saturday will start with a local band, George’s Big Shed, and will include Jacqui Abbott and Paul Heaton and Foo Fighters tributes, Ultimate 90s, The Billy Black Band, and more.

“And Pixie Lott!” beams Phil.

“She’s a huge name for us and we can’t wait to meet her.

“I’m told she’s a lovely person too and full of antics, so she’s really going to light up the stage.”

This year’s festival will also have a licensed bar on site, and on Saturday there will also be the usual craft and trade stalls, Silcock’s Funfair, and food and drink stalls.

“And apparently we have the cleanest toilets ever at a festival so we’ll still have those!”

Phil adds: “It’s a great festival and we are delighted with how it goes. Even though it’s getting bigger we always have the support of the village which is great, and it still has a community atmosphere which is so friendly and welcoming.

“We’ve already had a booking from Dorset this year, and you can’t get much further afield than that in the UK.

“Picnic in the Park is unique.”

Find out more about Rainford’s Picnic in the Park here.

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