Latest news with #Summerfest
Daily Record
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Hamilton town centre welcomes thousands for summer gala
Singers, performers, market stalls and family fun took centre stage at the Summerfest event Thousands of visitors descended on Hamilton town centre to enjoy a host of performers, stalls and family attractions at the town's summer gala day. Organisers say they were 'blown away' by the success of the event, which transformed Quarry Street into a busy outdoor market and entertainment space for the day. The successful event is part of the month-long Summerfest being run by business organisation Hamilton Our Town – and which continues this weekend with a pirate-themed family treasure trail on Saturday, July 26. Gala day visitors enjoyed performances from Abba and Ariana Grande tribute acts, singers Conner Wilson and Sisters of Soul plus favourites from The Greatest Showman, plus shows and street workshops from Glasgow Capoeira, dancers MLU Squad and visits from entertainers Steve Who, Walking Theatre Co, Think Circus, face painters and a balloon artist. The town's popular monthly market was in full swing with a range of stalls selling crafts, food and gifts, and seating and deckchairs along Quarry Street allowed visitors of all ages to enjoy performances centred around the historic bandstand. Hamilton Our Town described the summer gala as 'our busiest event of the year so far' – saying it brought an estimated 5000 extra visitors to the town centre on the day. Event organiser Malcolm Thomas-Harley said: 'We were blown away by the public response to our gala; the performers were top notch, as were the markets. 'It was fantastic to collaborate with local partners like Hamilton Information Project for Youth, Specsavers, and the Holiday and Flight Centre Hamilton, who provided free children's activities that added to the day's vibrant atmosphere. 'Summerfest is showcasing nearly 40 events and activities to help highlight everything our town centre has to offer and we encourage everyone to come into town, discover something new, spend locally and help us continue to grow a successful Hamilton.' Next in the busy town-centre programme is Saturday's treasure hunt, inviting families to search for hidden coins scattered across local shops and cafes for the chance to win the grand prize of a Nintendo Switch. Entry forms will be available from the bandstand on Quarry Street with the event running from 11.30am until 2.30pm. It will then be followed by the culmination of Summerfest with Pride South Lanarkshire taking place across Hamilton town centre on Saturday, August 2.
Daily Record
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Hamilton to host gala day as Summer Fest kicks off
Musicians, performers, street workshops and a busy market will take over the town centre on Saturday, July 19 Hamilton is getting set for a busy town centre gala day this weekend as one of the highlights of its month-long Summer Fest. Musical performances, street entertainers, face painting and the town's hugely popular market will take over Quarry Street from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, July 19, for the return of 'Hamilton's most vibrant summer tradition'. Organisers promise 'a day to remember' with a host of attractions for all ages across the town centre at the colourful celebration and are inviting residents and visitors to enjoy a day out and support the town's businesses. Musical treats at the gala day include a trio of tribute acts sharing the songs of Abba, Ariana Grande and from The Greatest Showman at the bandstand on Quarry Street, plus singers Conner Wilson and Sisters of Soul. There will be performances and street workshops from Glasgow Capoeira and dancers MLU Squad during the afternoon and visits from entertainers Steve Who, Walking Theatre Co, Think Circus, face painters and a balloon artist. Dozens of busy stalls will also be set up as the regular town-centre market returns with a range of crafts, food and gifts to 'bring the heart of the town to life'. Malcolm Thomas-Harley, of business organisation and event organisers Hamilton Our Town, said: 'We're thrilled to host this Saturday's free-to-attend summer gala day in the town centre as part of Summerfest. 'These free community events are vital in bringing people together, boosting local footfall and shining a spotlight on our town centre. 'It's been wonderful to see a wave of new businesses including the new post office, butcher and pet shop choosing Hamilton town centre to call home in recent months, supported by a rise in footfall over the year, and we hope that visitors take the opportunity to explore both the new and long-standing businesses when visiting this Saturday.' Further information including performance timings is available online at and on Hamilton Our Town's page on Facebook. Saturday's gala day is part of the month-long Summerfest cultural festival, which will also include a town centre family trail the next weekend, July 26; and culminating in Pride South Lanarkshire on Saturday, August 2. The programme of events also includes a series of special events including arts and craft sessions and Lego workshops at venues including Hamilton Town House and Low Parks Museum. Festival co-ordinator Malcolm added: 'Summer Fest is more than a celebration – it's a showcase of the incredible creativity, resilience, and warmth of our town. 'We're proud to shine a light on Hamilton's fantastic local businesses and our community through this month of activity. 'The festival brings together families, local talent and small businesses for an unforgettable programme of events, and there's no better way to celebrate the season and support local businesses than by spending the day soaking up the atmosphere at Hamilton summer gala day.' * Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Megan Thee Stallion takes break from touring hiatus for fiery Summerfest performance
While Megan Thee Stallion is taking a deserved break from touring, the world is being deprived of a hot girl summer at a time when we arguably need one more than ever — well, with one exception. The Grammy-winning rapper, 30, headlined Summerfest in Milwaukee on Saturday, June 28. The special one-off appearance at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater was Megan's first performance since Coachella in April and her only scheduled concert of the summer. So, she really made it count. Coming out on stage surrounded by eight backing dancers, all of them sporting black cowboy hats, boots and skimpy get-ups seemingly on loan from Beyoncé, Stallion raced right into "Ungrateful," which was followed by "Thot (expletive)," "Wanna Be" and "Freak Nasty." Megan Thee Stallion enters the villa: Rapper appears on 'Love Island USA' By the time "Savage" made the Hotties feral, 15 minutes had passed, with barely any moments for Stallion and her hard-working dancers to catch their breath. The superstar impressively stayed in lock step for much of the demanding choreography — hair flips, body squats, arm waves, hip thrusts, butt shakes — and somehow found the breath to rap on top of all of that, delivering withering one-liners and chest-puffing slogans with force and fire, rarely leaning on the prerecorded backing vocals that served as an unnecessary safety net. Then, after perhaps just 60 to 90 seconds offstage, Stallion was back at it again for the hard-rock studded "TYG," a collaboration with Spiritbox, offering up moves that were even more demanding, and impressive, than what she offered for that jaw-dropping opener — including a lightning-fast drop into the splits. One fan tossed a bra onstage in gratitude, leaving Stallion laughing so hard she struggled to get back into the bars. (At that moment, the prerecorded vocals actually did come in handy.) Megan Thee Stallion on Tory Lanez: Rapper calls singer a 'demon,' slams his fans for harassment Just a couple of songs later, Stallion showed she didn't completely need those backing dancers to put on a show. She offered up the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper (and alleged Nicki Minaj diss track) "Hiss," from her latest album "Megan," without any choreography, letting the bite from her flow steal the show. That same dynamic delivery commanded the stage a few moments later for "Plan B," with three words of advice speaking to Stallion's resonance amid all the bravado and biting put-downs: "Ladies, love yourself." Forty minutes after taking the stage, her body glistening with sweat, Stallion took a much-deserved extended break. But this also turned out to be one of the most fun moments of the show, as Stallion paced around and picked fans to join her onstage, assembling about a dozen mega-Megan fans who got down (literally, for a few of them) and twerked to "Bourbon." After that, Stallion still wasn't done. She then looked out over the pit again and invited about two dozen fans to join her onstage and dance to "Best Friend." And for all of this, Stallion gleefully accepted hugs, posed for selfies, signed autographs and even complimented one fan's cologne while wishing them a happy birthday. But there was more show to do. The set climaxed with one of Stallion's biggest smashes, "Body," her DJ doubling down on the drama by playing the inescapable earworm hook "Body, -ody, -ody, -ody, -ody, -ody, -ody" initially without the beat, ratcheting up the tension until a bass drop offered sweet relief. After a crowd-thrilling "Big Ole Freak" and one more complex choreographed routine for "Mamushi," her collab with Japanese rapper Yuki Chiba, Stallion said so long to a stage for the foreseeable future. The set clocked in at just 75 minutes. 10 bingeable memoirs to check out: Celebrities tell all about aging, marriage and Beyoncé Megan's opening act, fellow rapper Flo Milli, canceled just a few hours before showtime due to weather-related travel issues. But thanks to Stallion's unstoppable, sweat-dripping showmanship, this will go down as one of the buzziest shows of Summerfest 2025. Hot girl summer, delivered. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Megan Thee Stallion at Summerfest: Rapper delivers fiery set
The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Three family-friendly summer events that kids will love from Disney hunt to huge summer festival as temperatures soar
IRELAND's temperatures are set to soar to 28C this weekend - and you can make the most of the weather as a number of family-friendly events are happening. From a kids' rave to honey trail, there's something for everyone to enjoy the sunny weekend ahead. 4 Families can embark on an exciting journey through the story of Winnie the Pooh Credit: 4 The event takes place at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens Credit: 4 And the Disney Winnie the Pooh Honey Hunt is taking place until August 31 Credit: Families can embark on an exciting journey through the story of Winnie the Pooh at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, located just 20 minutes from Children can pack their big boots and explore Hillsborough Castle's captivating gardens to find the missing hunny. And along the way, children can find Rabbit's Garden, Christopher Robin's Thinking Spot, Eeyore's Quiet Shack, and Piglet's Cosy Lair, all inspired by Disney's Winnie the Pooh. The READ MORE IN TRAVEL You can pre-book your ticket and time slot online for just £20.80 (€24.14) for adults, and child tickets are reduced to £5.00 (€5.80) from June 28 to August 31. Children under 5 go free and no tickets are required. The Summer of Play at Rowallane Garden event in County Down is also a perfect choice to enjoy the good weather. Families can dive into Active Play in the Pleasure Ground, with plenty of fun activities like badminton and extra equipment added this year to welcome all ages. Most read in News Travel Kids can step onto the new Performance Play stage, grab inflatable instruments and microphones, and put on their own shows or enjoy the refreshed puppet theatre. Over at the Greenhouse, Creative Play comes alive with colourful arts and crafts sessions, set against a bright, festival-themed backdrop. One of the UK's oldest theme parks launches first water ride in 25 years The Summer of Play at Rowallane Garden is a free event and bookings are not required. Kids' Yard Rave is also set to take place this Sunday, July 13, at The Bernard Shaw, Dublin. It is an inclusive family experience where parents can have just as much fun as their kids. Tickets are just €10 for adults and €5 for kids. Summerfest The legendary Rob Strong and his band perform a very special one-off intimate matinee show as part of this year's Dún Laoghaire Summerfest 2025. Rob Strong is one of the most prolific and iconic blues men in Irish music, and he is set to perform next Saturday, July 12. There are only 100 tickets available for only €27.79. Dún Laoghaire Summerfest also takes place between July 4 and July 13. 4 Kids can pack their big boots and explore Hillsborough Castle's captivating gardens to find the missing honey Credit:
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘80s Pop Legend, 61, Stuns Fans With Ageless Appearance and Vocal Range
'80s Pop Legend, 61, Stuns Fans With Ageless Appearance and Vocal Range originally appeared on Parade. Time apparently forgot to send Richard Marx the memo about aging. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter just delivered a performance at Summerfest that has fans questioning whether he's discovered the fountain of youth—or simply proves that exceptional talent transcends decades. At 61, the Chicago-born artist commanded the stage with the same vocal power and magnetic presence that made him an '80s sensation. Sitting at his piano in a casual tank top, Marx performed his timeless ballad "Right Here Waiting" with a voice that sounds virtually unchanged from his chart-topping heyday. Fan reactions have been unanimously amazed, with many expressing disbelief at his unchanged sound. One concert-goer perfectly captured the collective sentiment, noting he "sounded like he did when I was listening to him on my radio in the 80s." This authentic appreciation demonstrates how Marx's vocal abilities have genuinely withstood time's typical effects. The Milwaukee festival performance showcased why Marx remains a beloved figure in American pop music. His 30 million albums sold worldwide speak to enduring appeal, but seeing him live proves his continued relevance extends far beyond nostalgia. Marx's career trajectory reads like a masterclass in sustained excellence. His 1987 debut album achieved the rare feat of producing four top-three Billboard Hot 100 singles, with "Hold On to the Nights" reaching number one in 1988. Hits like "Endless Summer Nights" and "Hazard" cemented his status as both vocalist and accomplished makes his current performances particularly remarkable is how effortlessly he delivers these demanding vocal arrangements. Power ballads require incredible range and control, qualities that typically diminish with age. Marx continues executing these songs with the same emotional intensity and technical precision that originally captivated audiences. His ageless appearance complements his preserved vocal abilities, creating an overall package that defies conventional aging expectations. Fans consistently praise both his maintained physique and unchanged stage presence, suggesting his commitment to health and performance extends beyond just vocal exercises. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 This Summerfest appearance represents more than nostalgia—it's proof that authentic artistry remains timeless. Marx's ability to connect with both longtime fans and new audiences demonstrates how genuine talent creates lasting impact across generations. For '80s music lovers, Marx's continued excellence offers hope that their musical heroes can maintain their magic indefinitely. '80s Pop Legend, 61, Stuns Fans With Ageless Appearance and Vocal Range first appeared on Parade on Jul 6, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
