In 2010 local musician Ed Blaney decided to start a Facebook group for Salford musicians. In 24 hours there were over 2000 members and this planted the seed of an idea to create a music festival in Salford. Skip forward to 2016 and the festival is now in its seventh year, taking place across various venues on the weekend of 29th September. With Ed at the helm the festival is a registered not-for-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers, providing a platform for gig goers to see the very best new music artists.
Ed explains “We are all about supporting new artists. To get on the bill at any kind of festival is really difficult unless you have a label backing you. Salford Music Festival attracts bookers from bigger festivals who are looking for new artists and so musicians are really keen to play here.” He goes on to say “It’s not just bands from Salford and Manchester, it’s artists from all over the country. We cover the A-Z of musical genres so there’s something for everyone.”
Since the inaugural festival in 2010, there have been well over 1,400 acts performing in cafes, bars, pubs and venues all across the city. Some of the more well-known artists who have played include Rae Morris, Ren Harvieu, Catfish and the Bottlemen and The Fall.
The festival prides itself on its unique independence and boasts a minimum of 95% of the events being free entry each year to the general public. This year’s partners are Salford City Council and Trivago. The acts playing over the festival weekend will be announced over the coming weeks and further details can be found at www.salfordmusicfestival.co.uk
