A BEACH festival will be headlined by singer, songwriter, DJ and producer Craig David when it returns to Sandbanks next year.

The world-renowned R&B star, whose hits include 7 Days, Fill Me in and Walking Away, has been announced as the leading name on the line-up for SandFest 2023.

Established in 2017, the one-day beach music festival on the Poole beach has grown to attract Previous acts to grace the stage at SandFest have included Rudimental, Faithless, Clean Bandit, Idris Elba, Hannah Wants, Example and even ‘MC Hazza’ aka Harry Redknapp.

Bournemouth Echo:

Festival organiser Ty Temel said: “We have had some incredible headliners and acts over the years at SandFest, but I don’t mind admitting I am probably most excited about this one.

“This is truly a ‘bucketlist’ booking for me personally. I’m a huge fan and Craig has been a real influence on my music taste growing up.

"Since the inception of SandFest, even when it was just an idea on paper, Craig David was always on my top list to headline the event.

“The setting on the golden sands of Sandbanks is just made for his style and vibe. I am going to absolutely love watching the crowd’s reaction to him being on stage!

Bournemouth Echo: Ty Temel, centre, with Rudimental at SandFest 2021Ty Temel, centre, with Rudimental at SandFest 2021 (Image: SandFest)

“I’ll be doing plenty of fanboying myself, but that is what it is all about. I don’t want to lose that thrill of experiencing something you could have only dreamed about when you were growing up. That is a philosophy I carry through in all my ventures.”

SandFest 2023 takes place on Sunday, July 9. To pre-register for tickets and secure early access before they go on sell, visit sandfest.co.uk