WESTLIFE, Lionel Richie and Madness will headline the first ever York Festival.

The line-up for the three-day music festival has been unveiled, with support acts including Take That’s Howard Donald, All Saints, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Scouting for Girls.

York Sports Club, at Clifton Park, will host the music showcase between Friday, June 19 and Sunday, June 21 2020.

Nigel Durham, trustee of the sports club and chairman of York Cricket Club, based at the site, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the first York Festival – a major new event for the city of York.

“An historic city the size and stature of ours truly deserves a high-profile music festival like this. And to be attracting such massive stars as Lionel Richie, Westlife and Madness is just brilliant.

“And with the festival being staged in the heart of the city, right here at York Sports Club, this really will capture the imagination and be a great thing for the city, residents, local businesses and visitors.”

Three-day passes, from £129, go on sale today; tickets for each night go on sale at 9am on Thursday, November 28, from £39.50.

Opening night headliners Madness, who have chalked up no fewer than 15 UK Top 10 singles and seven Top 10 albums, will be joined by indie chart-toppers Lightning Seeds, Craig Charles with his Funk and Soul Club DJ set together with Leeds indie rockers Apollo Junction and York’s own Violet Contours.

Westlife headline on the Saturday night as part of their UK-wide Stadiums in the Summer Tour, performing hits such as Swear It Again, Flying Without Wings and You Raise Me Up together with songs from their forthcoming album Spectrum.

Joining Westlife will be pop group All Saints, singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis Bextor, indie rock band Scouting for Girls and Take That’s Howard Donald, for a special DJ set.

Sunday night headliner is Grammy Award-winner Lionel Richie, covering his extensive repertoire, from his days with the Commodores up to the present day.

York Festival is presented by promoters Cuffe and Taylor who brought Britney Spears’ show to Scarborough Open Air Theatre in 2018 and staged Rod Stewart’s 2019 sell-out gig at York Racecourse.

Director Peter Taylor said: “This is the very first York Festival so we wanted to make this a very special debut year. To have Lionel Richie, Westlife and Madness as headliners – alongside many other brilliant chart-topping artists – is a real coup. We feel this is the perfect line-up for the first year of what we hope will become a major annual event in this wonderful and historic city.

“We cannot wait for Friday, June 19 and opening night. This really is going to be a weekend to remember.”

Cuffe and Taylor are working with City of York Council and Make It York, whose managing director Sean Bullick said: “York Festival will be a brilliant addition to the city’s already busy calendar of summer events for both residents and visitors to enjoy.

"Welcoming such music legends and chart-topping artists, as well as showcasing local talent, is another step forward for York’s cultural offer and we are delighted to help spread the word to audiences.”

For details and tickets visit www.york-festival.com