Free music festival turns Ipswich into 'one constant party'

Why it matters: The inaugural one-day festival, delivered by Brighten The Corners with headline sponsorship from Ipswich Central, transformed the town centre into a live music destination at no cost to attendees, with organisers reporting a 13% uplift in footfall at the Buttermarket Centre alone.

By the numbers:

• 3,000+ people are estimated to have attended across the day
• 1,000 wristbands handed out by 15:30
• 60+ live acts and DJs across seven venues
• 13% increase in footfall reported at the Buttermarket Centre
• Over 1,500 unique visitors to the BTC Youth Project "Tune Up" hub at the Buttermarket alone

The details: Live music spanned folk, indie, rock, jazz, hip hop and rap, performed across the former Superdry unit at the Buttermarket, CHIp Studios, the Halberd Inn, The Thomas Wolsey, Arcade Tavern, Three Wise Monkeys and The Church. Live acts ran until 22:00, with DJ sets continuing later.

A standout was the BTC Youth Project's Tune Up programme, which ran the Superdry stage and gave New Gen, the youth project, its own performance slot, transforming a vacant retail unit at the Buttermarket Centre into a live music venue.

What they're saying: Joe Bailey, CEO of Brighten The Corners, said: "Delivering BTC's All Dayer with our team and young people has to be one of the best moments for me personally and for us as an organisation. Seeing our Tune Up programme run the Superdry stage with youth project New Gen having their own performance slot was so heartening to witness."

He added: "Breaking down the financial barriers to access high-quality arts and culture means that all ages and backgrounds were able to enjoy and be inspired by some of the best local and regional artists. Each venue was buzzing throughout the day, inside and out, and it seemed like there was a real appetite to be involved throughout the day."

Lee Walker, CEO of Ipswich Central, said: "The BTC All Dayer exceeded our expectations in every way. It was a brilliant showcase of our local talent and businesses – from midday to midnight, it felt like one constant party, and we were so proud to have been able to make this happen alongside Brighten the Corners and the supporting venues."

Rebecca Bird, manager of the Buttermarket Centre, said the atmosphere was "brilliant" and that "seeing the town buzzing with people highlights exactly why these events are vital for shifting perceptions of Ipswich and driving regional tourism."

Ipswich MP Jack Abbott described the event as "an incredible way to kick off Ipswich’s summer".

"Thousands of people supported talented local artists. Every venue was packed. The whole town was alive. It underlines why I wanted Ipswich to enter the City of Culture competition. Our arts and culture scene isn’t just simmering away anymore, it’s exploding, and we should keep shouting about it."

The bigger picture: Bailey said the event had used spaces in a way he hopes others will replicate, adding it was "an amazing showcase of what can be done in this town" and expressing hope it "will inspire others to want to perform, get involved in the events industry or to take a risk and put their own events on in the spaces used."

For context: The event was sponsored and supported by Ipswich Central, the Business Improvement District (BID) for Ipswich town centre, covering the retail core, waterfront and surrounding areas. Formed in 2007, it represents over 630 local businesses and is funded by a mandatory levy paid by businesses within the BID area – not by taxpayers.

The BID is due to go to ballot later this year, the process by which it asks levy-paying businesses for their support for a further five years. This event is a timely reminder of the enormous value an effective BID can have in a town like Ipswich.

Walker, who is from and lives in Ipswich, was appointed CEO of Ipswich Central on 1 July after a decade working across the placemaking industry.

Additional support for the festival came from Arts Council England, the PRS Foundation and the University of Suffolk.

The bottom line: Saturday's BTC All Dayer drew thousands into Ipswich town centre for a day of free live music, with organisers, sponsors and venues pointing to a clear appetite for grassroots arts and culture – and the role events like it can play in bringing people, and spend, into the town.

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