Seaside town's summer festivals 'a business boost'

The organisers of Lytham's annual 1940s weekend have said it will be a massive boost for businesses in the town off the back of Lancashire's annual Lytham Festival.

The celebration on Lytham Green will be special this year as it marks 80 years since the end of the war.

Taking place on 16 and 17 August, it re-lives the wartime era with a weekend of singing, dancing, weapons displays, historical vehicles and vintage traders.

Tim Dixon, tourism and cultural services manager at Fylde Council, said both events were "very, very busy for the town".

"We know that during the festival week there's a huge amount of people around in the bars and restaurants," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"For the forties event there's an open event on the Green and we very much encourage people to wander round the town, the cafes, the shops and the bars."

Legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder has been announced as the headline act for this year's Lytham Festival, performing on 3 July.

Justin Timberlake, Alanis Morissette, Simple Minds and Texas will also perform at the event on Lytham Green on 2-6 July.

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