A busy month of live music and magic has been planned as part of a council’s summer events programme.

The popular live music events in Garth Park are returning this summer with two bands getting ready to rock the town.

The saga will begin on Saturday, August 6, when Real Magic Queen Tribute will perform some of the hits of the legendary band fronted by the late Freddie Mercury.

The tribute band will reproduce classics such as We Will Rock You, Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, I Want to Break Free and I Want it All.

Two weeks later, on Saturday, August 20, 80’s cover band Sledgehammer will make a return to Garth Park’s stage, playing 1980s hits in a three-hour slot.

The local band - made up of Russ Fray on vocals, Simon Bays on guitar, Al Grout on bass and Phil Heard on drums – have jobs in medicine, IT and teaching.

But at the weekend they pick up their instruments and take to the stage as the popular cover band.

They performed their first gig in 2016 and since then have been making a name for themselves with performances across Oxfordshire.

Gates will be open from 6.30pm, and the Garth Park based Cafe Savoir will be selling a range of foods, including ice cream.

Guests can also pre order picnic hampers and cocktails, or they can bring their own.

Read more: Pupils are creating artwork which will decorate town hall

Tickets are on sale now for both events – they cost £10 for adults, £5 for children aged six to 16 and under-fives are free.

For the town’s younger audience, Bicester Town Council is bringing some magic to Garth Park with a spell-binding activity day on Wednesday, August 3, running from 11am to 2pm.

The event will be free and a host of activities are planned, including balloon modelling, a unicorn stilt walker, magic tricks, walkabout fairies, card tricks, a Punch and Judy show and more.

Bicester Town Council said that guests should also keep an eye out for Harry Potter and Ron Weasley lookalikes on the day.

Bicester’s Mayor Alex Thrupp said: “August is going to be a busy month for Garth Park and I would urge people to buy their tickets for the live music events as soon as possible because in previous years they have sold fast.

“I am very excited about the town council’s summer events programme. It’s full steam ahead – there really is something for everyone.”

To book tickets for the music events residents can go to: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/bicester/garth-park

For more information about the town council’s events, view: https://www.bicester.gov.uk/

 

Read more from this author

This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1

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