Attendance records set to tumble at the Bootle Weekender Bootle music festival with Sir Tom Jones topping the bill and Status Quo and Red Rum Club also performing. Jennie Lewis reports

Stage is set for the 2024 Music Weekender at Salt and Tar in Bootle

Bootle venue Salt and Tar in Bootle is set to break attendance records over the next few days with thousands expected to attend the second annual Music Weekender.

Red Rum Club return to open the show on Thursday, followed by Status Quo on Friday. Headline act is Sir Tom Jones, who makes his Bootle appearance on both Saturday and Sunday.

This year’s event is set to break the attendance record set by the Music Weekender’s 2023 debut when more than 6,000 people enjoyed shows by Red Rum Club, Cast and The Lathums.

Headline sponsor for this year’s event is Bootle window and door manufacturer Warwick North West, a business employing around 120 people.

Warwick managing director Greg Johnson said: “We have been operating in Bootle for more than two decades and have demonstrated our longstanding commitment to this area and its people.

“It is extremely encouraging to see the surge in economic activity and investment in the last couple of years. Both Everton’s new stadium and Sefton Council’s investment into Bootle Strand will be catalysts for regeneration.

“We are proud to support this festival as it offers a visible representation of Bootle’s new-found confidence and sense of optimism. We look forward to a new era of growth and prosperity in this vibrant community.”

Salt and Tar opened last year as part of Sefton Council’s regeneration plan for the Bootle Strand area. Boosted by £20m in Government funding, the next stage will be a transformation of The Strand shopping centre.

Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, added: “The second Music Weekender at Salt and Tar is almost upon us, and we’re really excited to welcome music fans from all around the UK to Bootle.

“It’s another great chance for us to showcase Salt and Tar as a superb events space in this region. “Last year’s inaugural Music Weekender was a huge success and we’re expecting to double the attendance this time.

“Tom Jones tickets sold out almost straight away, which shows us the intense demand for spaces like Salt and Tar, which we see as an important part of our ambitious plans to make Bootle the place to be for everyone from festival-goers to shoppers and tourists.”

As well as opening the doors to thousands of guests, Sefton Council is using The Weekender to support the borough’s young people.

Across the weekend, creative students from Scrapyard Studios, SAE Institute Liverpool, Hugh Baird and L20 Hub will be invited on site to experience the venue set up and have an opportunity to practice their content creation skills, including event photography and filming.

The Weekender has teamed up with Sound City, Warwick North West, Unison, Avison Young and Ellandi to bring the star-studded line-up to Bootle this year.

Stephen Cowperthwaite, managing director for Liverpool at Avison Young UK, also said:

“We’re thrilled to be returning as a major supporting partner of Salt & Tar Music Weekender. The event is fantastic news for the local community in Bootle and has been made possible by continued and strategic investment in the town in recent years.

Tickets for Tom Jones have fully sold out, but limited tickets for Red Rum Club and Status Quo are available on Ticketmaster.