Gigs in the forest pull in 100,000 fans

The forest has been hosting open air gigs for 10 years, with Jools Holland starting the trend, and The Zutons, UB40, and Simply Red following.

Forestry Commission organiser, Paul Cody said: “Ten years has flashed by and we have had some fantastic names at Dalby, from Paul Weller to the Beautiful South.

“Gigs have injected money into the local economy and drawn people to the forest for the first time. Crucially, profits have also allowed us to invest in conservation and recreation projects.

“Other Forestry Commission venues are staging music including Sherwood Forest and Thetford Forest, but Dalby is the remotest spot of all, five miles from the nearest main road. “Over 160 people are involved in the organisation, turning a woodland clearing into a major concert venue in just four days, complete with a 21m orbit stage and thousands of metres of cables.”

Simple Minds and Erasure will be this year’s attractions with 7,000 tickets already sold and the 100,000 target expected to be reached during the season. Each gig has a capacity of 5,000, and tickets are priced at £34.50 for Erasure and £35 for Simple Minds. They are available from the Forestry Commission on 03000 680400.