Fun for all the family at mini festival at The Palm in Sunderland

Palm Sunday is being staged at The Palm in Hylton Riverside on Sunday, August 15 and promises fun for all the family.

Featuring six DJs, singers, a sax player, dance troupe, a confetti cannon and food vendors, it’s set to bring festival vibes to the venue’s Beach Box outdoor area.

It’s being staged by Forever 54 events who usually host the site’s Saturday entertainment as part of a series of club nights across the region.

Michael Lane, a former Chambers DJ who set up the club brand, said Palm Sunday was a great way for parents to enjoy music with their little ones.

"Usually when we have nights like this it’s for over 18s, but this means people can bring their kids and they can all experience a music event together,” he explained.

Michael says it’s great to be back behind the decks performing to people in person, rather than being confined to streaming events.

He said: “Like a lot of DJs I took to streaming during Lockdown and managed to get a good following with events featuring world-class DJs which can still be seen on our YouTube channel, but there’s nothing like performing in person.”

Music on the day will be a mixture of house, disco and funk.

Michael will be behind the decks himself, with sets also being performed by Ryan McDermott, Liam Connor, Callum Christie, John Hepworth and Steve Burnikell.

There will also be vocal performances from Beth Hopper and Livia Bead, with Davy Sax on the saxophone.

To meet the increase in demand for outdoor areas, The Palm repurposed a car park at the front of the site earlier this year to create Beach Box at The Palm, which features a huge stretch tent and an outdoor stage.

*Palm Sunday takes place at Beach Box at The Palm, Hylton Riverside, on Sunday, August 15 from 2pm to 8pm and is open to all ages. Entry is free to the event. Donations on the day will be made to Cancer Research UK.

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