Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

An award-winning county music festival which switched to an online format because of social distancing measures has been hailed a huge success after it raised more than £13,000 for a Worcestershire-based hospice.

Woo Fest, which was streamed live to homes and gardens around Worcestershire and beyond on Saturday (4th July), featured a mix of live and pre-recorded sets from big-name performers including Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Grant Nicholas, from Feeder, and Toyah Willcox as well as local acts.

Hosted by Richard ‘Hursty’ Hurst and BBC Hereford & Worcester’s Nina Das Gupta, the free-to-view festival has raised £13,245.57 so far with music-lovers donating as they watched.

Luke Simons, festival organiser, said: “We’ve been blown away by everyone’s response to a virtual festival here in Worcestershire. We had 92 individual musicians in 24 sets – across a range of genres – keen to give our wonderful county a brilliant day and support the care St Richard’s provides locally at the same time”.

• Continue reading at strichards.org.uk.

And that’s a wrap! A massive thanks to everyone involved in today’s Virtual Woo Fest. An incredible day of music only possible through an incredible human effort at the current time. And supported by our incredible Worcestershire community raising £12,896. Thank you from us all.

NB. Since this post the total was updated again.

Your Virtual Woo Fest donations continued into the small hours taking us to an incredible. £13,245.57!

• Continue reading at St Richard’s Hospice at Twitter.

“My giraffe for @WorcStandsTall TALL in aid of ST. RICHARD’S HOSPICE and @WILDINART is now signed and complete. thank u Rachel Blackwell for bringing my design to life!” (Photo © Toyah Willcox)