ORGANISERS of Southbourne’s popular music and arts festival have announced that this year’s event is to go ahead as planned.

The team behind the Shake and Stir Vintage Music Festival have revealed that they are “very excited” to bring back the live community event following a year’s hiatus.

The date of the weekend festival has been pushed back to August 7 and 8 to “stand a better chance of going ahead”.

Festival Director and lead organiser, Mandy Polkey said: “Bringing back the festival is not going to be easy. There are lots of hurdles to jump, funding to find, criterions to adhere to but all in all we are very excited to be bringing this happy nostalgic vintage music event back to its roots in Southbourne.

“We changed the date from the normal end of June ones to August in order that we could stand a better chance of going ahead and gaining the opportunity to understand other events experiences and learning curves where Covid is concerned.

“Hopefully when the event comes around, we will be free from all restrictions, but we will still have the health and safety of our visitors at heart and will be adhering to any government guidelines being learnt at the trial events going ahead at this time.”

Bournemouth Echo:

Although six weeks after the government’s projected date for the lifting of full lockdown restrictions, organisers say they will have track and trace notices, temperature checks and guidance of coronavirus restrictions if required.

The event will boast a full line-up of musical acts covering a range of genres to play across both days of the event.

Alongside its live music, the festival will also host displays of classic cars, music and vintage workshops and live dance sessions.

In 2020, the event went digital, bringing the ‘Home Edition’ of Shake & Stir to people’s homes during the height of the pandemic.

Bournemouth Echo:

Streamed over the festival’s website and social media accounts, the videos uploaded of music acts have received over 32,000 views.

Mandy added: “We have a great line up of bands programmed in already over the two days to go on the bandstand in the very beautiful Fisherman's Walk.

“We were wonderfully supported by bands and artists when we put on our 'Home Edition' virtual Shake and Stir last year so we are trying to find funding to bring in as many of these as possible.

“So far lined up we have a lovely line up show casing Rock and Roll Rockabilly, Motown, swing and lots more from artists such as Retro Rita, Little Dave and the Sun Sessions, Junco Shakers and Stompin Dave to name but a few.

“This is a community event with a strong vintage lifestyler following, we hope we can do everyone proud but still need financial input, so we are seeking sponsorship and funding wherever possible.

“We are blown away by the offers of volunteer support by the local community which will help hugely.”