In the past he’s brought Duran Duran, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart and even the Village People to play live on a large patch of grass next to the sea.

This year, Peter Taylor is responsible for attracting global superstar Shania Twain to the Lytham Festival as one of the headliners for the five-day event which will see more than 100,000 music fans take over the town.

Lancashire Telegraph: Peter Taylor (Picture: James Watkins)

“The nearer to the event it gets, the more exciting it gets,” said Peter, who along with business partner Daniel Cuffe runs Cuffe and Taylor, the festival promoters. “But it also gets more nerve wracking.

“It doesn’t help that you have done it all before; things change and evolve and you have to look at it with fresh pair of eyes every year.”

This year’s festival on Lytham Green runs from Wednesday, July 3 to Sunday, July 7 and features a typically diverse line-up ranging from Hosier to Courteeners and Madness to James complete with an orchestra.

“Lytham is not a genre-led festival, we’re not a rock festival, a pop festival or an indie festival - Lytham is a festival in a beautiful town with music that is accessible to everybody,” said Peter. “We try to put something in there which will appeal to the masses and also something a bit more eclectic.

“It’s all about mixing it up and keeping the audience fresh.”

For 2024, Lytham Festival will be hosting some of its biggest shows to date with capacity on certain nights having been increased to around 25,000.

“The festival has certainly grown,” said Peter. “We have gone from having eight or nine thousand people to over 20,000. That growth is a testament to the audience who have come to love the festival. The festival has grown because the audience has grown.”

That growth has meant that for five days in the year the relatively sleepy seaside town welcomes an invasion of music fans.

And Peter is full of praise for the way Lytham has embraced the annual event.

“There have been some challenges over the years but without the support of businesses and residents in the town it simply would not happen. It would be too disruptive to the town if they genuinely didn’t want it.

“We have recognised the need to work more closely with residents and have a resident focus group where we discuss things with them.”

For the 2024 festival, festivalgoers will notice a new public transport plan has been put in place.

There will be a lot more buses and trains,” said Peter. “This will mean it’s probably easier to just leave the car at home. Also listening to residents, traffic wardens will work into the evenings to clamp down on inconsiderate parking.”

In the next few weeks, the visible signs of the festival will start to take shape with the massive stage and fencing around the festival area going up.

“That’s the bit that everyone sees but it’s really it’s the final part of an awful lot of work that has gone on before,” said Peter. “It’s a bit like building a house. You have to make sure all the foundations are done properly even though you will never see them.”

As someone from the area, Lytham Festival remains a special event for Peter.

“I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved. This summer Cuffe and Taylor will be putting on more than 150 outdoor shows and it really all started here. We employ a lot of people in the local area and it is one of our flagship events.”

With 2024 looming, Peter is already looking ahead.

“Actually this week I’ve confirmed the first act for 2025 which is exciting. And no, I’m not going to tell you who it is.”

Lytham Festival runs from July 3 to 7. Headliners are Hosier, Shania Twain, Courteeners, Madness and James. Other artists include Rick Astley, Rag n Bone Man, The Kooks and Johnny Marr. Details from www.lythamfestival.com