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Country star says headlining Belfast 'means everything'

Linzi Lima
BBC News NI
BBC Cody Johnson is smiling with a cream cowboy hat on. He has a ginger beard and brown eyes with studio lighting behind him. BBC
Cody Johnson has promised fans "a lot of energy" on his Country to Country debut

Award-winning US star Cody Johnson has said it means "everything in the world" to be headlining the UK's biggest country music festival this weekend.

Country to Country (C2C) runs for three days, with events in Belfast, Glasgow and London.

Johnson will headline the event at the SSE Arena in Belfast on Friday night before travelling to the other venues.

It is the first time he has played in the UK.

'The best we've got'

Speaking ahead of his C2C debut, Johnson said fans should expect a lot of energy.

"Everyone is very excited about country music coming to Belfast," said Johnson.

"We came over here to give you the best we've got."

He revealed that he and his entourage would be travelling across the UK by bus, something that "makes it feel like home, like we're just out on the weekend playing shows".

C2C has been running since 2013, starting as a multi-day event in London.

The festival expanded into Europe and Australia and has since become one of Europe's most popular country music events.

Janet Devlin is wearing all black and a black hat. Her guitarist is wearing a denim jacket over a stripy white and blue top with black trousers and a cap. They are in a studio with red curtains and lights.
Janet Devlin performed live on the Scott Mills Breakfast Show on Friday

Also performing at C2C is Northern Ireland artist Janet Devlin, who took part in The X Factor in 2011.

The singer-songwriter will play a special show at the Limelight in Belfast on Saturday evening before taking to the stage at the O2 arena in London on Sunday.

The County Tyrone native said that having C2C in Belfast was "amazing" and she was excited to take part, having been "very much a last-minute booking".

She also joked that one of the best things about it was that she got a free ticket to watch some of her favourite artists perform.

John Kerr is wearing a green puffa jacket and cap and is smiling. Scott Mills is wearing a black top with buttons up the top.
John Kerr (left) and Scott Mills will co-host Country to Country at the SSE Arena in Belfast on Friday

Johnson and Devlin were guests on the Scott Mills Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2, which was broadcast live from Belfast on Friday morning.

The broadcaster will co-host the event at the SSE Arena on Friday with BBC Radio Ulster's Country Show presenter John Kerr.

Speaking of Johnson performing in the UK for the first time, Mills said: "It's a Northern Ireland crowd so he's going to have a good time."

BBC Radio 2 is the official broadcast partner of C2C and coverage will air on the station this weekend from 15:00 GMT until 18:00 on Saturday and from 20:00 until 22:00 on Sunday, with more country specials available on BBC Sounds.

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