Every day is a good day for enjoying Blackpool Sands, especially during summer, but Saturday 8th July sees the first ever ‘Loving the Beach Festival’ taking place there so all the more reason to visit what must be one of the country’s most beautiful beaches!

The sweeping bay with its stunning wooded backdrop and seemingly endless blue sea is the ideal venue for such an event, something which Michael Smith, co-owner of The Venus Company has toyed with for some years, and 2017 sees that idea come to fruition. “Loving the Beach Festival is perfect for all the family – not only will there be a wide range of live music but lots of other entertainment and activities too throughout the day, with food available from 8.30am until 8pm so no need to go hungry!”

Headlining the event will be London band ‘Saloon Star’ who play everything from swing and country to blues, funk and reggae with some rock and pop along the way. The music sets run from 12 noon until 11pm and ‘Saloon Star’ will be on stage for the first of their three sets at 5pm after superb local bands ‘Mafia4’ and ‘Three Bags Full’ who can be relied upon to have created a great party spirit by then. Well known amongst the local music scene, this is a great opportunity to see those bands perform in this unique setting.

Delicious food and drink will be available for all festival goers from Venus Café until 5pm; Venus takeaway will be serving food until 8pm; and Bays Brewery will have a beer tent on site.

Traditional Punch & Judy Shows for young (and young at heart!) members of the family; treasure hunts; and demonstrations from charities supporting the event – RNLI, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Marine Conservation Society and the Devon Wildlife Trust – will all add to the day’s fun.

Tickets for the Festival must be bought in advance through Eventbrite – simply search for Venus Loving the Beach Festival. Priced at £15 per adult (over 16); £5 per child (12 – 16); Free for children under 11 (maximum 1 child per adult) or why not treat yourselves to VIP tickets at £45 pp?

Please note, there is very limited VIP availability and early booking is advised if you would like to enjoy the Festival in style. Those lucky enough to secure coveted VIP tickets will enjoy a fabulous three course meal showcasing locally-sourced produce created in the award winning Venus restaurant, served at their table right in front of the stage.

For more details and how to book for the Festival recently featured in theguardian.com as one of the top coastal festivals of the summer please visit www.lovingthebeach.co.uk

Michael Smith added: “When you think of music festivals you might conjure up the image of fans wading through mud and elbowing through crowds for just a distant glimpse of their favourite band. When it came to planning Loving the Beach Music Festival, we decided to do things a little bit differently. So whether you want to throw yourself into the crowds, find your own space to dance around on the beautiful Blackpool Sands beach or make yourself comfortable in the VIP area, the Loving the Beach Music Festival has the perfect festival experience for you.”

On site parking will be available at a cost of £5.00 per car for the day and Blackpool Sands is accessible by public transport (Stagecoach service 3) during the day.