The final details of next weekend's Darwen Live free music festival have been confirmed.

Headlining this year will be The Blow Monkeys and Scottish rockers The View are still due to perform, despite footage of a recent on-stage bust up between band members being circulated online.

They are expected to perform to crowds of thousands from the main stage in the Market Square over the two day event running across Saturday, May 27, and Sunday, May 28.

Darwen Library Theatre will also host the second stage and Sunbird Records, which has recently re-opened as a live music venue, and other local places and spaces will also have bands performing.

Darren James, senior programmer at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, who’s been involved in organising Darwen Live since 2013, said: "We’re pleased to present a packed line-up for Darwen Live 2023.

"Every year we work hard to make it even bigger and better despite rising costs.

"We’re proud of the fact that Darwen Live is the UK’s biggest free music festival and we look forward to welcoming visitors from far and wide.

"It’s always a super popular event which showcases local talent while supporting businesses right across the town.

"Every year the support for this event is amazing. Crowds turn out in their droves and enjoy the fact that there’s something for everyone. Here’s to this year’s event being another huge success."

This year more than 500 acts applied to perform on the main stage with 90 per cent of them being local artists.

More than 15 local venues in the town will be open to showcase acts over the weekend and in the Market Square there’ll be refreshment and food stalls as well as an official merchandise and a beer tent.

Darwen Live first launched in 2000 as an annual event for artists and the community to come together.

The main stage line-up for Darwen Live 2023 is:

 

Saturday May 27

12:00pm – Leah Haworth; 12:45pm – McNally Music Act; 1:45pm – Body Water; 2:45pm – Kerrang’d; 3:45pm – Inciders; 4:45pm – Kind Hearted Thieves; 5:45pm – Tokyo Storm; 6:45pm – Bonfire Radicals; 7:45pm – Lanterns; and 8:45pm – The Blow Monkeys.

Sunday May 28

11:30am – Darwen School of Music Showcase; 12:45pm – Gvani; 1:45pm – Lyra; 2:45pm – This is War; 3:45pm – Rafters; 4:45pm – Kooky; 5:45pm – D-Kel and Los Bandidos; 6:45pm – Design Rewind; 7:45pm – Northern Soul Train; and 8:45pm – The View