EXCITEMENT is building in Wharfedale this week after the announcement that the second annual Blues Festival will be held in Ilkley on October 22 featuring a wide variety of bands and solo artists.

Local band Dr Bob and the Bluesmakers organised last year’s inaugural festival. It proved to be such a success they received calls from blues fans to make it an annual event. The venue this year is central Ilkley and once again it will be a ‘not for profit’ event purely aimed at providing a great day of listening to, and living the blues.

Co-organiser of the festival, Charles Oxtoby, who is the guitarist with Dr Bob and the Bluesmakers said: “We were overwhelmed with the response to last year’s festival which sold out. The venue is bigger this year and there has already been a lot of interest from bands and music fans. Even though we had great artists last year, we have decided to invite mostly new acts for 2016 to showcase the rich talent and variety of blues music around today.”

Confirmed so far are Leeds City Stompers, Dr Bob and the Bluesmakers, the Acme Blues Band from Norfolk and Born Healer from London, who recently performed a session on the Paul Jones show on BBC2.

The festival will take place on Saturday, October 22 at the Clarke Foley Centre, with acts performing continually from 2pm to 11pm. Tickets are available on-line at Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ilkley-blues-festival-2016-tickets-26464451888 and at the Bartat in Ilkley, priced £15 for the day with under 14s free.