Walsall MakerFest acts officially unveiled

Asifa Lahore, Rhythms Del Toro and Millicent Chapanda and are among the musicians revealed for Walsall MakerFest this September and it’s completely free.

This September Walsall MakerFest, a free one-day festival, will shine a spotlight on and celebrate the rich and diverse creative community within Walsall and the Black Country. Taking place on Saturday 7 September 2024 from 11am-5pm, the festival will feature live music, dance, a makers’ market, street food, workshops, storytelling, fashion show and pop-up shops.

A showcase of live music at The Crossing at St Paul’s in the town centre will feature performances from a range of talented local musicians across musical genres from reggae to blues and Latin to Motown. 

Musicians include:

• Rhythms Del Toro, a 7-piece international collective delivering popular classics in an explosive Latin style. 4.00pm - 5.00pm

• Spice up your life with Asifa Lahore’s stunning cabaret performance! A performer, drag queen and multilingual voice for intersectional rights, Asifa will also be compèring the live music stage.  3.10pm - 3.40pm

• Janel Antoneshia is a Black Country based Jamaican singer known for her distinctive voice and seamless blend of nu soul and reggae. 2.35pm - 3.05pm

• Millicent Chapanda, a Walsall-based Zimbabwean Shona cultural artist, traditional mbira player, percussionist and singer. 2.00pm - 2.30pm

• Elle-J Walters is a Birmingham-based songwriter. Touring nationally and internationally, she has supported artists like Shalamar, The Real Thing and Hot Chocolate. 1.25pm - 1.55pm

• The 2Ds will open the show with their infectious performance of old school Motown and Northern Soul hits. 12.50pm - 1.20pm

Walsall MakerFest is delivered by Walsall Council in partnership with local non-profit Urban Hax CIC, The New Art Gallery Walsall and Walsall Cultural Compact. It has been supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)’s Cultural Development Fund: Round Three through Arts Council England. The festival is part of the borough's £1.5 billion transformation plan, which includes developing the town’s historic Guildhall into a thriving creative industries enterprise centre. 

The Mayor of Walsall Councillor Anthony Harris, said “MakerFest is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the wealth of incredible talent we have locally. I encourage you all to mark  calendars for September 7th and join us. Let’s celebrate the talents who make our borough so special.”

Millicent Chapanda, a Walsall based Zimbabwean Shona cultural artist said “I am so excited and looking forward to performing at Walsall MakerFest. I encourage everyone to come out and experience authentic traditional live music, as we collectively celebrate this festival as a vibrant diverse community.”

Walsall MakerFest’s live music offer will culminate in a free evening concert at St Matthew’s Church. People Sing, from 5-7pm will feature local choirs St Matthew’s Community Choir, Blue Lights and Voices Entwined.

For more information on the full programme of events visit Walsall MakerFest | Walsall Council and follow @walsallmakerfest and @ourwalsall on Facebook and Instagram for updates.