Country music stars take centre stage at UK festival
Two of Northern Ireland’s finest musical exports, Gareth Dunlop and Janet Devlin, will fly the flag for Belfast this summer as they take centre stage at The British Country Music Festival in Blackpool from 29th to 31st August.
Returning for its sixth year, the festival, held in the Winter Gardens’ Empress Ballroom, The British Country Music Festival has earned a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive celebrations of homegrown country, Americana and roots music.
Northern Irish artist Janet Devlin will close out the festival as Sunday night’s headliner on 31st August. First catapulted to fame as a teenager on The X Factor in 2011, Devlin has carved her own path since, using her music to share an unfiltered exploration of life’s highs and lows. Her deeply personal 2020 album Confessional was followed by Emotional Rodeo, a raw yet polished country-rock record recorded with Nashville greats, including Bob Dylan’s harmonica player Charlie McCoy.
Devlin’s unique voice and unflinching honesty have made her a beacon for fans drawn to her mix of folk, pop and alt-country. Her upcoming headline set promises to be an emotional high point of the weekend, with tracks tackling mental health, self-acceptance and the everyday poetry of life.
Meanwhile, Belfast-born singer-songwriter Gareth Dunlop will perform an extended set on Saturday 30th August, bringing his signature blend of Synthpop, roots, and Americana to the Horseshoe Pavilion Theatre stage. Having written songs for country legends like Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and soundtracked hit shows including Nashville and This Is Us, Dunlop has quietly built an international reputation while staying true to his Belfast roots.
Now in its sixth year, The British Country Music Festival has built a reputation as the UK’s leading celebration of homegrown country, roots, and Americana talent.
This year’s line-up is an eclectic mix of established names and emerging stars. Nashville favourite Brittney Spencer will headline Saturday night, while Cornish-born Sam Palladio, known for his role in the TV show Nashville, tops Friday’s bill. The line-up also includes rising stars like Jonny Morgan, the UK AMA ‘Bob Harris Emerging Artist of the Year,’ Canadian singer-songwriter Tara MacLean, and outlaw country newcomer Savannah Gardner & The Recovering Good Girls. UK favourites Buckle & Boots, Red Sky July, and Virginia Dirt add to the rich blend of country, Americana, and roots sounds.
With a mission to champion British and Irish artists alongside select international guests, the festival taps into the long-standing connection between UK folk traditions and the birth of American country music. The result is a weekend where new transatlantic collaborations are forged, and festival-goers can mingle with artists in an intimate, welcoming atmosphere.
For Gareth Dunlop and Janet Devlin, their appearances in Blackpool mark another milestone in their remarkable journeys from Northern Ireland to Nashville and back again. Both artists continue to prove that homegrown talent can shine brightly on the global stage, and this August, they’ll do just that under the grand lights of the Empress Ballroom.
The British Country Music Festival runs from Friday 29th to Sunday 31st August 2025 at Winter Gardens Blackpool. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.britishcountrymusicfestival.com/