A SOUTH Shields hotel is gearing up for a busy summer as it welcomes an influx of music fans and extra visitors.
Little Haven Hotel, located in a unique spot at Littlehaven at the mouth of the Tyne, is sponsoring this year’s Sunday Concert series, which will be held in Bents Park over four consecutive Sundays in July as part of the South Tyneside Festival.
The concerts will feature a host of big names including KT Tunstall (9 July), Busted (16 July) Louisa Johnson, Jedward and 5 After Midnight (23 July) and soul divas Sister Sledge (30 July) as well as a number of local artists.
This year marks the first time Little Haven Hotel has sponsored the shows, and general manger Graham Davidson says he is delighted to be involved. “The Summer Concert series has become one of the biggest events on South Shields’ calendar and seems to grow year on year,” he said.
“July is always a busy time for us with wedding season in full swing and we tend to find those rooms we do still have available fill up quickly with people coming to the concerts.
“Last year, for instance, we had a number of Scottish visitors who came to see The Proclaimers, and we always tend to attract a lot of people coming in for a drink after the performances.
“The South Tyneside Festival and the concerts are a huge boost to the area. They bring the community together and new visitors into the town, and we are thrilled to be involved. I hope they can continue for many years to come.”
The Sunday Concert series, in partnership with BBC Newcastle 95.4FM and also sponsored by Port of Tyne, Colmans Seafood Temple and Town Centre Automobiles, regularly attracts tens of thousands of visitors.
Councillor Alan Kerr, Deputy Leader of South Tyneside Council, with responsibility for Culture and Leisure, said: “Thanks to sponsors like Little Haven Hotel we are able to continue to run these popular summer concerts.
“Little Haven Hotel is a fantastic venue in a stunning position, and I can’t think of anywhere better to head after an afternoon of great music for a drink or two. We are very pleased to have the hotel on board and support of local businesses like this is very important to us.”
The events remain free of charge, but access will be on a first come, first served basis.
Priority Access Tickets, costing just £5 each which guarantee admission to the concert they are bought for, are still available for all four performances and are available to buy now from Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/southtynesidefestival or by calling 0844 844 0444. They can also be purchased over the counter at Shop @ The Word in Market Place, South Shields.
For more information and full listings visit: www.southtynesidefestival.co.uk