Free live music events featuring local artists are coming to part of Stoke-on-Trent from next month.
The Quarter, based on the Spode site in Stoke, will be hosting around 40 Outdoor Live events taking place on Friday and Saturday evenings.
They have been organised after receiving £8,000 of funding from Stoke High Street Accelerator (HSA) pilot, which is funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Award-winning solo artist Jo Safina will kick start the music feast on Friday 2 May, with the likes of singer and guitarist Ben Botfield, and acoustic electric duo Glow Band also signed up to appear on other nights.
Annemarie Bailey, Co-owner of The Quarter, said: “We are thrilled to be able to put on free events for Outdoor Live for 2025.
“What’s great about the live music events is, the artists who will be performing are all from the local area and it’s amazing to be able to support them by giving them a stage to perform right in the heart of Stoke town.”
The Outdoor Live events will run through until August.
Although they are free, bookings are required and seating is on a first come, first served basis.
A separate music event, Stoke Town Music Festival, will take place at The Quarter during the August Bank Holiday weekend with part of the £8,000 Stoke HSA pilot funding will be used to cover The Quarter’s involvement in the event.
Annemarie added: “Stoke Town Music Festival is going to be something else and we will be looking to collaborate with other businesses in the town for this – we cannot wait.
“Again, this will be a free to attend event where we will be helping to showcase the whole of Stoke town as much as we can.”
The announcement of the live music events comes as proposals to revamp a courtyard area of the former Spode pottery site have been revealed.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council, in partnership with developers Dog & Bone Group and Spode Museum, wants to carry out improvements to the existing green space and preserve the remains of the bottle kilns for the future, making the space more appealing to visitors and workers.
Proposals include new seating, planters, festoon lighting, new flags for the flagpoles and new interpretation signage for the remains of the bottle kiln.
The council has said existing trees and shrubbery will need to be cleared or removed, where necessary, to stop the roots from further damaging the remains of the bottle kiln. A new tree will be planted as a replacement as part of the city’s centenary celebrations.
The project is subject to Dog & Bone Group being granted listed building consent by the city council.
For more booking information about Outdoor Live and for updates on Stoke Town Music Festival, click here.
