Abbeyfest 2010 Opens At Merton Abbey Mills
Popular summer arts festival is back
The 13th Abbeyfest arts festival gets underway at Merton Abbey Mills on Friday July 9, with a vast range of music, theatre, comedy and film events taking place every day until August 30.
The free Friday night jazz concerts include a new artist for this year, Noel McKoy. There will also be a programme of free weekend lunchtime jazz (1pm-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays) featuring many favourite jazz standards performed by duos, trios and jazz quartets from around London.
The blues this year (Blues at the Mills) runs over the August Bank Holiday Weekend and includes a free Friday and Saturday night concert on the bandstand. Buffalo Bill Smith has put together a line-up of bands and performers which this year will see more than 20 gigs.
A first for Abbeyfest this year will see the Colour House Theatre deliver an exciting night of Soul, Funk, Jazz and Boogie classic grooves and Old School Anthems from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
To complement the festival's music theme, a couple of chamber concerts - Saturday Evening Music Among Friends - have been programmed.
After the success of last year's open-air Film Short night, in association with the Wimbledon Film Club, there is a line-up of six open-air film nights, with a special gala film night featuring the musical Moulin Rouge.
The Kidsfest takes place on Monday August 30. Organisers promise a day where children take centre stage and the event is free.
August 23, 2010