A Jubilee party fit for a Queen!

People across South Ribble will be able to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in style after the council agreed funding for a spectacular weekend of entertainment over the extended Bank Holiday in June 2022.

To mark the special occasion, a Great British themed Leyland Festival will kickstart the celebrations with the much-anticipated Music in the Park event returning to Worden Park after it was cancelled last year due to Covid.

The weekend of fun will help put a smile back on people's faces and boost the local economy as we recover from the pandemic.

Councillor Paul Foster, Leader of South Ribble Borough Council, said: "We've had such a difficult time over the last year and it is important we give people something to look forward to that will provide a much-needed boost for the local economy.

"We're really grateful to the Leyland Festival committee for working with us on moving the event from its usual spot to the new Bank Holiday and this will be one of the biggest weekend of events we have hosted in South Ribble.

"To do that we've had to set a new budget of just over £200,000 but we expect the majority of that will be recouped by ticket sales and income from the events.

"What we are planning will hopefully bring in people from across the North West and we are looking forward to revealing more details on the artists as soon as we can."

The Queen's Jubilee weekend will see everyone get an extra Bank Holiday, making a four-day weekend at the start of June.

The Leyland Festival will take place on Thursday 2 June with the Music in the Park event taking place on the Friday - both in Worden Park. There will then be chance for people to enjoy the rest of the weekend with street parties and the council is looking to close Hough Lane, in Leyland town centre, to create a place for visitors to relax and enjoy the hospitality.

Martin Carlin, Chairman of the Leyland Town Team, said: "This is going to be something special and we are going to be pulling people in from far and wide.

"This will be a real community event and what the last year and a bit has shown us is how important that community spirit is.

"We'll be releasing more details in the coming weeks but make sure you mark the dates in your diary and we're looking forward to working with the council on making this a weekend to remember."