NEWCASTLE Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist Jamie Lee Harrison is to join a host of X Factor favourites during this year’s South Tyneside Festival Sunday Concerts series.
Jamie will take to the stage at Bents Park, South Shields, on Sunday 23 July joining four of The X Factor’s biggest stars in the third of this year’s shows.
The 23-year-old who was born and bred in Newcastle, is the latest addition to a star-studded programme set to feature X Factor favourites Louisa Johnson, 2016 winner Matt Terry, Jedward and 5 After Midnight.
The talented singer reached the semi-finals of this year’s BGT show, after wowing the judges with his rendition of REM’s Everybody Hurts which was described by Alesha Dixon as “Soulful”, “beautiful” and “honest”.
And he also has something in common with his X Factor co-stars having auditioned for the show himself in 2013, getting as far as judges houses before being sent home by Louis Walsh.
“I am absolutely thrilled to have been given the opportunity to perform at South Tyneside Festival,” he said. “This is my first big festival since appearing on Britain’s Got Talent, I’m so excited to get on there and perform for a home crowd who supported me on the show.
“I’ve been attending the festival since it started and to be on the stage this year is a huge honour. This is the one festival everyone looks forward to in the North East and it just gets bigger and better every year.”
Councillor Alan Kerr, Deputy Leader of South Tyneside Council, with responsibility for Culture and Leisure, is looking forward to welcoming another singer from the North East.
“In our region we have some incredibly talented singers, and it is wonderful to be able to welcome someone as gifted as Jamie,” he said. “This latest announcement comes just after we revealed X Factor winner Matt Terry would be taking part in this performance, and it is gearing up to be a brilliant show.
“With so many big names on board, we expect this to be a very popular concert and I fully imagine we will reach capacity quickly on the day, so I’d urge anyone who isn’t buying an advance ticket to get there early to avoid disappointment.”
The Sunday Concert series, sponsored by Port of Tyne, Colmans Seafood Temple, Town Centre Automobiles and Little Haven Hotel, regularly attracts tens of thousands of visitors from across the region and further afield.
This year’s series features four concerts held across consecutive Sundays in July, starting on 9 July with KT Tunstall. Other artists lined-up to feature throughout the month include Busted and Sister Sledge.
Admission to all of this year’s concerts is free but is on a first come, first served basis. Fans can guarantee entry by purchasing a Priority Access Ticket for their chosen show, priced at £5 each.
Priority Access Tickets 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