A brand new two day music festival featuring some of the biggest names is hitting Carlisle this September.

Niall Spence spoke to Danny Maudling and Liz Cannon from event organisers The Mighty Boof Promotions about Milecastle66 the latest addition to Cumbria’s burgeoning festival scene.

Milecastle66 will have more than five stages featuring some big name acts including: Feeder, The Enemy, Pigeon Detectives, Reverend and the Makers, and The Ordinary Boys plus many more.

With support from Carlisle City Council, Milecastle66 will take over the city’s Bitts Park on September 23 to 24. Organiser Liz Cannon said: It’s great to see that the city wants this to happen, they want a strong live music scene in the city and it’s nice to be able to bring some new stuff to the Cumbrian festival circuit.

CEO Danny Maudling said: “I’m excited to be bringing this event to Carlisle having worked at The Old Fire Station bringing artists there I’m looking forward to bringing larger acts in to Carlisle. There is a huge array of local talent here too so we are spoiled for choice.

“It’s pretty sweet to be able to organise a festival in the grounds of Carlisle castle, it is breaking new ground for the area which is really exciting and I’m really looking forward to it. I just like putting something on, you see people enjoying themselves and that gives me a real buzz that’s my personal highlight, more so than any particular band. I’m really lucky I get to do all the fun stuff like booking bands but I have a great team behind me and I couldn’t do it without all their help.”

Welsh rock superstars Feeder formed in Newport in 1992 as Reel; since then they have released eight studio albums, three compilations, two EPs, and 34 singles with their most well known being the air guitar slashing: Buck Rodgers, Just the way I’m Feeling and Just a Day and are still going strong to this day visiting Carlisle on the back of their latest album release.

The Enemy however come to Carlisle at the end of a fantastic career spanning the last ten years. Tragically Carlisle will be one of their last live shows ever as they are splitting up at the end of 2016. The Midlands indie rockers were propelled into household name status in the Noughties with their hit singles: Live and Die in These Towns, Away From Here, Be Somebody and Had Enough.

Also headlining are Reverend and the Makers emerging from the Noughties rock haven of Sheffield – The Yorkshire steel town also spawned world famous rockers The Arctic Monkeys. The band is fronted by Jon McClure, nicknamed “The Reverend”. McClure – a close friend of Alex Turner – has Cumbrian links with both family in Workington and having played at Cockrock.

Danny said: “I’m just a music fan I don’t sit down and say I want this band or I want that band it just kind of develops naturally, the headliners all kind of have an indie feel to them because when we started promoting that was kind of the ‘cool’ thing to have on. It’s a tried and tested method and with it being the first Milecastle66 I didn’t want to push the boundaries too far, you just go with your gut and things fall into place.”

The Reverend isn’t the only Cumbrian link to Milecastle66 though as hailing from all over Cumbria, a number of local acts are also set to play at the new musical event including The Reptilians, Colt 45, My Little Brother and a whole host more. There are also more than 15 DJs booked for the gig with the likes of Sonny Wharton, Matt Hinde, Dan Askew and David Blacklock hitting the decks.

Liz said: “This is a test event and we may move the dates next year more into summer but the reception has been so good this year already that it looks like Milecastle66 could become a regular addition to Cumbria’s festival scene.”

She added: “Milecastle66 is unique because it’s an inner city festival. I don’t think Cumbria has ever had anything quite like this you can have a great time and get to sleep in your own bed. It’s within 10 minutes walk of the city centre so you can carry on the party in all the city’s pubs and clubs when we close down for the night. It’s really offering the full package to Cumbria.”