There’s loads of things going on. Pam and Phil Beale, Fuse Festival Directors have been working hard since October to bring a great line up of music acts, workshops, entertainment, art activities, food traders and market stalls. 

Phil said “We’re really excited about our music line-up! We have two music stages – Evolution and Momentum – and that allows us to have a mix of genres and styles to suit most musical tastes. We’ve got young local acts such as White Eskimo, Sugarthief, Ryders Creed and Maxwell Avenue and then the ever-popular Marquis Drive who put on a fantastic show with their tribute to 90s music. Skaciety are coming all the way from Kent with their punky/ska vibe – they have been voted Best Live Act and Best Band by a leading music magazine – and Huey Morgan (of Fun Lovin’ Criminals fame) recommended a funk band called Cantaloop, so they are booked in too. Those who like a great DJ set can dance the night away with DJ Olly Thumpa on Sat night.” 

There is a workshop tent, The Imaginarium, running free activities ranging from beatboxing to Bollywood dance, and you can even make your own ukulele out of a pizza box (the “pizzalele!”). 

“It’s such a great way of connecting our local community together” said Pam. “We have asked various groups to get involved by giving demonstrations or sharing their skills. We have two local dance schools doing dance performances (Fusion and Silhouette), the Lichfield Repair Café who will be helping people to repair items so that they can be used again, Woodhouse Farm showing us all about planting up pots, and a range of schools, pre-schools and nurseries making site décor for us.” 

“Being Wimbledon and World Cup Finals weekend, we thought it appropriate to include some sporting challenges and the Lichfield Fitness Community will be running beat the goalie, seated volleyball, boxercise and basketball sessions to suit all. So there really is something for all the family!” 

The festival is reliant on volunteers to help with stewarding and ensuring all festival goers are safe and have had an outstanding response, with over 100 people signed up to help, many of them from local 6^th Forms. “We need up to 40 volunteers on site at any one time so it does take a fair bit of organising but it really is a wonderful event to get involved with and we are so pleased to have recruited so many young people this year,” said Pam. 

As they are a charity, the organisers, Lichfield Arts have to seek out sponsorship and grants to help put on this fantastic event and are grateful to local businesses such as The Rigid Kitchen Company in Shenstone, the aptly named Fuse Events, Freedom Brewery of Abbots Bromley, and housebuilders Bovis and Orbit Homes.

So, if you love live music, fancy learning how to do beatboxing, make your own ukulele, Bollywood dance, write a poem, learn a magic trick, do some Lindy Hop dancing or find new ways of keeping fit with your family then it sounds like Fuse is the place to be this summer!