Organisers at highly-anticipated Lytham Festival have announced plans to extend the event next year.

Many were disappointed when it was announced that the Lytham St Annes festival would not be going ahead this year and was postponed until 2022.

However, organisers are hoping to make it up to ticket holders by extending the music extravaganza to last 10 days instead of the current five.

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Festival organisers, Cuffe and Taylor, have submitted a licence application to Fylde Borough Council.

If approved, it would see Lytham Festival 2022 take place across two weekends, for one year only, between June 29 and July 10.

As well as pleasing music fans, the move is set to generate £20million of income for the Fylde Coast.

Both tourism and business leaders have thrown their full support behind the application.

Joint founder of Lytham Festival, Peter Taylor said expanding the event into 10 days will have a huge economic impact on Lytham and the Fylde coast.

He said: “Lytham Festival already attracts around 100,000 people each year as one of the UK’s leading live music events.

“We’ve had two years without a festival so by extending this to 10 days for one year in 2022, not only will we be able to bring even more global icons to our wonderful town, but we will be bringing tens of thousands more customers to the hotels, bars, restaurants and shops of the Fylde coast.

“Following the devastating effect of Covid-19 on the live events and hospitality industry we have worked very closely with our partners at Fylde Borough Council and will continue to do so to ensure Lytham Festival is of benefit to as many people and businesses as possible.

“This 10-night event is about reopening our industry and transforming Lytham Festival into a huge economic boost for the area. It’s a bold statement that we’re open and back in business.”

Initially a one-day Proms concert back in 2010, the former Lytham Proms grew to a three-day event before rebranding into the four-day Lytham Festival in 2015 and then five days from 2018.

The hospitality and retail industry across the Fylde coast benefits from the festival with thousands of concert-goers visiting from out of town and therefore staying overnight and supporting local businesses.

Stuart Robertson, who owns and operates St Annes Beach Huts and Apartments, said: “The business we and many, many others enjoy because of Lytham Festival is incredible.

"Our accommodation is booked up months in advance by people eager to enjoy the festival and that also has a really positive knock-on effect as we see people returning at other times of the year who might not have visited the Fylde coast previously.

“I really hope Lytham Festival is 10 days in 2022 as the benefits will be huge for all.”

While Ross Robinson, proprietor of The Queens pub and Lytham House restaurant, said: “Lytham Festival is a huge asset to all the hospitality businesses in the town.

"We opened Lytham House last year and we were looking forward to welcoming Festival guests in the summer, as we have in our other establishment The Queens for many years.

“Bringing back the festival in 2022 for 10 nights will be a huge boost that all the businesses need right now and we can’t wait to welcome residents and visitors through our doors and I know everyone else will feel the same.”

Council and tourism chiefs are also backing the proposed extension.

Fylde Borough Council leader Cllr Karen Buckley said: “The growth of Lytham Festival has helped put Lytham on the map ever since Fylde Council gave financial backing to the first Proms event in 2010.

“We have greatly missed the Festival these past two years and so the double-billing will be just the boost that is needed and, I hope, a celebration beyond the pandemic that we can all look forward to.” 

Will you be getting tickets to the 2022 event?