Music in the park: Bananarama, Nik Kershaw, Peter Andre, Bad Manners, Deco, Boys on Block all headed for Leyland's Worden Park in 80s & 90s nostalgia-fest

Bananarama, Peter Andre, Bad Manners, The South, Nik Kershaw, Boyz on Block (with an exciting special guest) and Deco are all on the bill for the evnt, which will be hosted by Brother Beyond’s Nathan Moore. Back by popular demand, the one and only Pat Sharp will be on the decks spinning more of those fantastic tunes that got everyone dancing last year. The event will return on Bank Holiday Sunday May 28 and will again take place in Worden Park in Leyland.

Councillor Paul Foster, Leader of South Ribble Council said, “Wow, look at that line up. It’s going to be such an incredible night. “It was a dream for us to establish a music event in the borough and now that we’re back for the second year is incredible. Last year’s event completely surpassed all our expectations and thousands of you came along and danced the night away. We’ve listened to the feedback from this year and the next is set to be an even bigger and better event. If I were you, I’d get your tickets early! If you are quick, you might be able to get an early bird discount and bag a standard entry ticket for £30. There is a limited number of tickets available at this price - when they're gone, they're gone.” The full price tickets will be £40 for standard entry and £55 for premium tickets that enable fast-track entry, give access to upgraded toilets and a dedicated bar close to the stage, plus a VIP lanyard. Tickets can be paid for in installments.

Coun Foster said: “We have tried to keep the ticket costs down as much as possible to enable everyone to be able to come along and enjoy our fantastic line up. It’s also important to remember that while it’s a great stand-alone event, having this event in the borough year on year will be a great boost to our local economy and will encourage visitors from right across the region to South Ribble.”

The starring acts include:

Bananarama

Bananarama’s Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward are celebrating the group’s 40th anniversary and their achievements speak for themselves. Two Band Aid appearances, an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful female band worldwide with the most charting singles, many of which were international hits, four hitting the US Billboard Top 10 including a No.1 with Venus. To date the duo have had 30 Top hits, have released 12 albums, and sold 30 million records.

Nik Kershaw

Throughout his career, Nik has attracted praise from such legends as Eric Clapton and Miles Davis and has been nominated for four Brit Awards. Elton John famously described him as being “the best songwriter of his generation”. He continues to write and record (both for his own projects and for film and TV) and perform his songs - old and new - to his faithful following all over the world.

Peter Andre

Peter Andre is an accomplished global media star prominently known for his successful music and television career. Peter hit a peak in his music career during the 1990’s when he became the sixth highest selling artist in the UK. He has had number one hit singles with ‘Flava’, ‘I Feel You’, and his biggest success ‘Mysterious Girl’, plus two number one albums. Peter has toured all over the world collecting a multitude of national and international awards along the way.

Pat Sharp

Pat rocked Worden Park in 2022 with his fantastic DJ set and we couldn’t be happier that he is joining us once again! With almost 40 years of live TV, radio and hosting experience, Pat continues to attract more and more new fans, both old and young alike and has 60k+ followers on Twitter. Pat currently broadcasts across the UK on Greatest Hits Radio, along with his three weekend radio shows in Norway on P8 Pop.

The South

The South are an impressive 9-piece band who feature former members of The Beautiful South including singer Alison Wheeler and lifelong sax player Gaz Birtles. Since Dave Hemingway, the original singer, left the group at the end of 2016, Gaz has moved across to front the band with Alison and taken on vocal duties. Since the demise of The Beautiful South in 2007, this exciting live band have spent 11 years touring the theatres and festivals of the UK up and down the country, bringing back the full sound and arrangements of these treasured songs – A Little Time (the number one single), Perfect 10, Rotterdam, Song For Whoever, Old Red Eyes Is Back, Good as Gold, Don’t Marry Her plus many more singles and album tracks as well as a few choice South originals. These songs span an impressive 18-year career starting way back in 1989.

Bad Manners

Bad Manners, featuring vocalist Buster Bloodvessel, were at the forefront of the ska revival movement in England in the late ’70s. They quickly became the novelty favourites of the fad through their bald, enormous-bodied frontman’s silly on-stage antics, earning early exposure through 2-Tone Records package tours and an appearance in the live documentary Dance Craze. In the early ’80s, they had many U.K. hits including “Ne-Ne Na-Na Na-Na Nu-Nu,” “Lip Up Fatty,” “Special Brew,” and “Can Can.” By the mid-’80s, the ska craze was over but the band have been on tour ever since, making people dance all over the world. Now in their 45th year and no signs of stopping.

Boyz On Block

Made up of members of 5ive, Another Level and Phats & Small, these guys have become well known for their Block party style, and it’s what they do best! They will be rocking the stage with hits such as ‘Turn Around’, ‘Everybody Get Up’, and ‘Freak Me’ The Boyz will also be bringing along a surprise special guest.

Deco

Deco hit the ground running in 2021. Following a string of TikTok worthy covers and content, their mashup of Oasis’ Wonderwall and Bronski Beat’s Smalltown Boy went viral, with more than 4 million views to its name. This led to TV appearances on BBC News and Good Morning Britain, as well as plays on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, Radio X, Absolute Radio, Virgin Radio, and countless more across the world. Bronski Beat’s Jimmy Somerville said he was “blown away”, and Oasis’ Liam Gallagher gave it his seal of approval by sharing it on his official TikTok account. In the summer, they took part in BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend and supported the likes of Nile Rodgers & Chic and Culture Club at huge outdoor shows!

Nathan Moore

Nathan is an amazing performer who effortlessly captivates an audience. He had huge success in the 80s with his band Brother Beyond, charting hits such as ‘The Harder I Try’ and ‘He Ain’t No Competition’ He has toured with Rick Astley and Kim Wilde, and is a regular face at festivals all around the UK. Tickets are on sale now at www.musicinthepark.live