'Let's amplify Shropshire!' Loopfest organiser on shunning 'plastic' K-pop, giving grassroots talent a platform and 2026 being Shrewsbury festival's biggest yet

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This year, there will be 250 acts across 40 venues, including Shrewsbury Castle, Theatre Severn and, for the first time, the Quarry.

The three-day event begins on Friday, May 1 with a huge gig in the Quarry, with a jam-packed line up across a multitude of bars, pubs and other venues all set for Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3.

Organiser and dad of one Jamie Smith said it’s all about promoting up-and-coming Shropshire acts over “plastic” music.

“What we’re interested in is trying to promote grassroots artists that are growing from the ground upwards. We’ve got artists who are performing on the main stages and they started from a pub. So it’s nice to develop a cycle where we can support artists.

“I think it’s really important that we encourage younger people to experience live artists - especially stuff that’s not plastic. We’re being fed K-pop and whatever. They’re manufactured products.

“I think that there’s been a point in time where there’s been less concern with emerging artists and they’ve been put to one side for cover bands and tribute bands. 

“We’ve got loads of great covers bands in Shropshire, but what we’re about is emerging artists and trying to amplify Shropshire across the rest of the UK.

“Then what we hope is that we can have a wider array of performers coming to the town in the coming years.”

Loopfest started in 2022 with a budget of £3,000, with local acts booked to perform in a variety of pubs and clubs across the town.

Now it has grown to be a huge event which costs £250,000 to put on.

This year there will be a Friday gig in the Quarry for the first time.

It will feature Northern Irish rockers Ash, Glastonbury group Reef, popular indie band The Bluetones and Black Country folk/punk singer Jess Silk.

“In the past few years we’ve built and developed the festival,” said Jamie, also known by his stage name Jimmy Kebab.

“It’s been quite difficult but you build something up and build the trust of the people around you. Now they’re allowing us to put an event on in the Quarry which is 3,000 capacity. It’ll be in a huge big tent with loads of amazing artists from across the world.”

He added: "On the Saturday and Sunday of Loopfest, we have performances across various spaces including churches, Shrewsbury Castle, The Square, the Quarry, Theatre Severn.

And then loads of smaller venues - coffee shops and cultural spaces we could find.

“We’re using an incredible array of different performance spaces for the event.”

With the growth of such an event comes extra costs, including security and insurance.

The Shrewsbury Flower Show has been cancelled again this year, with security costs cited as a major factor. That came after a bomb threat caused the Quarry to be evacuated in 2023.

Major event organisers are also mindful of preparing for Martyn’s Law legislation to come in next year in response to the Manchester Arena bombing of 2017. Martyn Hett was one of those who died and the legislation being brought in under his name will mandate that organisers of public events with a capacity of 200 or more must implement proportionate security measures to improve terrorism preparedness. 

It requires risk assessments, counter-terrorism plans, and training, with stricter requirements for larger venues, aimed at reducing vulnerability and potential harm.

“It’s not just the venue hire itself,” Jamie said. “It’s the other things like insurance. This year we’re insuring against terror threats because of the bomb threat that was called in.”

Despite that, Jamie is determined to keep Loopfest affordable and family friendly.

“The tickets are £30 to £40 and the idea of that is to widen participation and allow people who have got lower incomes to experience a full festival in Shropshire for what you’d normally pay for a single ticket at a cultural venue,” Jamie said.

“The festival is family friendly. We’re charging £6 entry for kids under 14 and it’s free for under 5s. It’s an absolute bargain.”

The long-term goal for Loopfest, as well as continuing to bring top quality artists to the town and platform local acts, is to develop a media office to produce high-quality video and promotional assets for Shropshire musicians.

“We want to be able to do that for free for local artists to be able to promote themselves, and so musicians from elsewhere look and think that Shropshire looks like a cool place to go and play. We hope to bring people into the area.”

In terms of this year’s festival Jamie is urging Loopfest-goers to snap up their tickets while they still can.

“Tickets are selling really fast at the moment. We’re looking at a sellout.

“The Ash event will sell out in April. We do encourage people to get their tickets now.”

To book tickets and see the full line-ups, visit loopfest.co.uk/.