Local delight at Beyonce V Festival announcement (From Chelmsford Weekly News)

Local delight at Beyonce V Festival announcement

7:00am Monday 4th March 2013 in News

BEYONCE’S upcoming performance at V Festival in Chelmsford has left many residents of the city delighted.

Gavin Wilkinson, principal of Little Waltham-based performing arts school Tomorrow’s Talent, said the calibre of names on the line up shows Chelmsford is being taken seriously by the art world.

Mr Wilkinson said: “There has been such a massive buzz about the upcoming Beyonce tour around the UK and I know our students are very inspired by her work because she is such a pioneer of dance, music and fashion.

“In every class we do there is something that has been inspired by something Beyonce has done.

“Since the line up got revealed, the students have been going wild. I actually saw her in Sheffield five or six years ago and it was one of the best concerts I ever went to.

“I think it is a really big accolade for us to bring these top end artists from around the world to Chelmsford. It is putting the city on the map.”

Ray Ride, Chelmsford councillor responsible for leisure and culture, said it was great to see so many big names coming to perform at Hylands Park.

Mr Ride said: “The whole point about this is that the V Festival is the class festival in the UK. Chelmsford now with it’s city status is looking forward to having major headline acts coming to Chelmsford.

“It is fitting that we have so many high class acts to match with the fact we have a more high profile image we have since becoming a city.

“Hylands is well served by roads and motorways along with good communication there and the event is recognised as a major festival.”

MP for Chelmsford Simon Burns also expressed his happiness of seeing the list of artists coming to the festival in August.

Mr Burns said: “This is a fantastic line up and shows yet again that Chelmsford is at the forefront of festivals in this country during the summer cycle.”