Shrewsbury’s free street music festival, The Big Busk, will return for a fourth year in 2016 – with the focus firmly on the future.
The event will take place in and around Shrewsbury Town Centre on Saturday, 2 April.
As well as returning to its original one-day slot, next year’s Big Busk will also put the emphasis on young people with the theme of The Future of Music.
Last year’s Big Busk raised an incredible £6,100 for Shrewsbury Ark, a drop in centre for homeless and vulnerable people in the town.
The Big Busk is held in memory of talented musician, poet and artist Ben Bebbington, who was killed in 2012 in an unprovoked attack. It takes place on the weekend around Ben’s birthday.
Last year’s event was held over two days because it fell on Easter Bank Holiday Weekend, but will return to a one-day event this time around.
Ben’s sister Karen Higgins, one of the event’s organisers, said: “Every year since the first event in 2013 we have wondered whether to do it again, and every year the enthusiasm, from both the people who come and watch and the musicians who give their time and talent for free to support us, is infectious.
“We always try to base the Big Busk around a theme, and this year we will be looking at the Future of Music, with a strong focus on the youth. The idea actually came from my son, Nathan, who said he wanted to see an area where people could try musical instruments for themselves and speak to artists about their music.
“Planning for next year’s event is still in its very early stages, but we are confident that, once again, we will have something for everyone.”
The idea behind the Big Busk is that all entertainment is free, with people only donating what they can afford. All profits from the event go directly to Shrewsbury Ark, which relies almost entirely on charitable donations for its upkeep. It costs £120,000-a-year to keep the Ark running.
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