ORGANISERS of a new music festival in Hull say it will attract some of the biggest names in rock and pop.
West Park Party will be held in the city next year, as Hull gears up to become the UK City of Culture in 2017.
Organisers are hoping 25,000 people will attend the event in the park, making it one of the largest festivals in the city.
They are hoping to build on the success of events including Humber Street Sesh and the Freedom Festival.
Organiser Bill Blenkarn is remaining tight-lipped about who will perform at the event, but he is confident people will not be disappointed.
He said: "This is going to be a very big event.
"We want to bring something to Hull that has never been done before.
"Although the city already has great music events like Freedom and Humber Street Sesh, for some reason no one has ever brought any big name acts to Hull.
"I expect people will be a little bit shocked and pleasantly surprised by the quality of acts we are bringing here."
Mr Blenkarn says the music will attract people of all ages.
"We are going to be hosting some big chart acts – music that the kids will know – but there are also going to be plenty of heritage acts, which older people will enjoy.
"Everybody from the ages of 18 to 65 will know the music."
The organisers hope the festival won't be just a one-off event and are already laying the groundwork for 2016.
"Hull is screaming out for an event like this," said Mr Blenkarn.
"If we do this right, I don't see any reason it couldn't be like a mini-Glastonbury and become a legacy event that will last for years to come.
"Hull always seems to be in a bubble of its own and what I want to do is burst that bubble by creating a music festival with such a good line-up that it attracts people to travel from nearby cities."
The London-based events organiser has worked on festivals around the country, but says he is prepared to make a big investment in Hull to ensure the festival is a success.
He said: "What I don't do is just come into a town for one week, put on a festival and then leave.
"It's about utilising the facilities and the services and the people who are already here to create an event for the whole city to enjoy.
"We are talking to local restaurants and caterers who we want to run a mini-food festival as part of the event and a family area with entertainment.
"In the next few months we'll also be setting up an office here and recruiting people to work on organising the event."
James Ash, of the Hull-based marketing and PR agency Stash, is one of the key partners behind the scenes.
"There used to be a really negative attitude in Hull to events like this," said Mr Ash.
"People always used to say things wouldn't work or they were too expensive, but over the past few years, people have realised that the city has something really special to offer."
• Visit westparkparty.co.uk to find out more and buy tickets.
