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The inspirational Morecambe-based, Lancastrian music and education charity More Music and their chums at Lancashire Music Hub sent their Baybeat Streetband and Honk Youth Streetband, streetbands from across the UK and around the world last weekend to take part in HONK! Bradford, a vibrant celebration of acoustic music, featuring performances from 15 streetbands.
The weekend-long festival formed part of Bradford City of Culture 2025, filling the city with colour, sound and joy through performances, workshops and the Big HONK!
Baybeat and Honk Youth Streetband travelled from Lancashire to take part in the three-day event, performing in venues and public spaces across Bradford before joining other streetbands for The Big HONK, a mass performance involving 300 musicians from around the UK and across the world.
Festival highlights for Baybeat included special community performances at The Holme Centre in Holme Wood, and Kirklands Community Centre, a city centre performance in Norfolk Gardens and spontaneous busking across the city centre culminating in The Big HONK!
One band member said of the experience: “These memories won’t fade easy – the most magical experience with you all.” Another participant added that they “loved spending lots of time together as a band and seeing other streetbands from different cultures and backgrounds.”
Baybeat is More Music’s streetband, and meet weekly, performing at local festivals in and around Morecambe as well as travelling further afield. The inclusive and intergenerational aspects of the band enable strong connections to be made between people of different ages, and a safe, supported atmosphere makes this group unique: “Baybeat kept me going through some of the worst times. You guys have become my family. I couldn’t see my life without it.”
Speaking after the festival, members of Baybeat reflected on the importance of being part of such a large, international gathering: “It was a brilliant weekend – full of playing, sharing food, and coming together for a massed performance we’d been preparing for over a month. It felt amazing to represent Morecambe and be part of something so big.” Marianne Barraclough, Executive Director at More Music added “We are so proud of Baybeat - welcoming people from across Lancashire, and bringing so much energy to their performances.”
If you are interested in joining Baybeat, sessions take place on Tuesday evenings at More Music in Morecambe. You can find out more by CLICKING HERE
More Music is supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation, Youth Music, Lancaster City Council and Arts Council England.
All Images: HONK Bradford! (Justin Leeming)
