BGT star sings to celebrate Blackburn’s town centre win

Businesses are being briefed to wave flags, bring out the bunting and raise the red, white and blue for Blackburn as the town centre prepares to celebrate their championship win as Town Centre of the Year.

The town prepares to celebrate their championship win of the Town Centre of the Year and overall Winner of Winners in the national Great British High Street Awards this July.

The Blackburn Business Improvement Development (BID) has announced that the forthcoming summer street fair, on Saturday 15 July, will be a Great British High Street Party filled with family entertainment, food and street stalls.

The event has been extended to run from 10am to 6pm on King William Street, outside the Town Hall in Blackburn Town Centre culminating in the unveiling of a commemorative plaque by VIP guests.

This will be followed by Britain’s Got Talent sensation Sarah Ikumu. 15-year-old Sarah, who was Simon Cowell’s “Golden Buzzer” act and wowed the judges’ who gave her the “Wild Card” for the BGT final. She will perform along with a host of community entertainers and street artists throughout the day ending the event on a high note.

The party will be hosted by Rock FM presenter, Ditchy. He will be presenting on a big blue pop up bandstand, with live music including a range of local music talent from MMT, the Parthenon Band from Kings Court, and the Blackburn People’s Choir. Giving a festival feel will be the addictive rhythm of music and dance from the Bombay Baja Brass Band.

Harriet Roberts, Blackburn BID Manager led the partnership application in the competition on behalf of stakeholders across the town. She said:

This is a really prestigious title, which we hold for another 6 months. It was a remarkable achievement by everyone in the town who voted for Blackburn to win and testimony to the incredible amount of work that has gone into the economic regeneration of the town from every sector.

This is a great chance to celebrate and we invite people who’ve not been to Blackburn recently to come and see the changes and find out why we won.

Children will be able to enjoy an enormous bouncy castle and as it’s the weekend of the British Grand Prix, there will be a Grand Prix Formula 1 replica car for to take a world class selfie with! Costumed guide, Mr Mason will present fascinating, free Blackburn Heritage Walks, setting off from the town hall at 11.30am and 2.30pm.

As well as traders and exhibitors selling unique gifts, homegrown produce and novelties, there will be a street feast of hot and cold food traders with flavours from across the world.

In the week leading up to the street party, a selection of “Winners Week” shopping offers will be available from shops and cafés across the town including the Mall and Blackburn Market.