Beverley Knight says festival is 'home' for her

Beverley Knight has said performing at Godiva Festival was like coming home as she praised the event for its affordability.

The Wolverhampton artist, widely regarded as one of Britain’s greatest soul singers, was the final headline act at the Coventry festival on Sunday.

Speaking to BBC Midlands Today before taking to the main stage, Ms Knight said it was a joy to be in the middle of a “music city like Coventry”.

“I love to perform. This is home for me. Even though it’s Coventry and I’m from Wolverhampton, I still think ‘West Midlands – home’,” she added.

She said festivals like this were a wonderful way for people to enjoy live music when they could not afford the likes of Glastonbury.

The event, organised by Coventry City Council, was free until charges were introduced in 2019, with adult day tickets for this year’s festival costing £17.50.

“I think it’s fantastic that it’s within a family price range. Everyone can come and enjoy music live – a fully immersive experience,” Ms Knight said.

“It [live music] can be so out of reach for so many people and I’m just thrilled I can be part of something that is so accessible.”

Ms Knight closed out the festival on Sunday following previous headline performances by Richard Ashcroft and Paloma Faith.

Tens of thousands of music fans were expected to visit the event, which was marking its 25th anniversary, over the three days.

But concerns were raised on Saturday after reports of a group of people “stampeding” from the direction of the Next Stage towards the main stage.

One person at the event said on Facebook that families watching Paloma Faith were “mowed down” as a result of the disorder.

In a reply to the comment, Godiva Festival apologised for the issues, confirming that people were ejected from the site and that the Next Stage was closed for the rest of the evening.

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