Local bands join Reverend & The Makers at Birmingham’s new Craft Drink Festival

Indie legends Reverend & The Makers will be headlining Birmingham’s Craft Drink Festival in July.

The band will be be the festival’s Saturday night headliners, topping a genre-hopping bill of alternative, folk, funk and soul that includes a number of breakout Birmingham bands.

Led by songwriter and poet Jon McClure, Reverend & The Makers emerged from the Sheffield music scene in the mid-2000s with a distinctive sound that blended dance elements with classic British indie. They went on to enjoy a string of UK hits, including ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’, ‘He Said He Loved Me’, and ‘Shine A Light’ – ideal anthems for the festival’s outdoor Main Stage on Saturday night.

The festival, which takes place 28-29 July in the gardens of the NEC, will see Birmingham-based artists Ivory Wave, Paper Buoys, The Clause, The Americas, and Alex Ohm join indie legends Reverend & The Makers on the Main Stage.

Handout/Fred Tschepp

London’s renowned Crowd Company will also bring their funky brass sound to the Main Stage on Sunday night, while those with a taste for folk and blues have loads to discover over on the Chill Haze Stage. Headliners Little Folk and Orange Circus Band are joined by BBC award-winning guitarist Sunjay, country band Angels with Dirty Faces, and the likes of Mountainface and C.F. Boneslum, both from North Wales.

The Craft Drink Festival is a brand-new festival featuring the best craft beer, cider, spirits, and entertainment. Visitors can taste craft beer, gin, whiskey, cider and more from a range of breweries and distilleries, and try street food from various local food trucks.

Elsewhere across the weekend, there will be live music, comedy, a trade barrell, Brew Kettle tasting sessions and workshops, and a cinema screening of cult classic including Back To The Future, The Goonies, Stand By Me, Romeo + Juliet, Ghostbusters and Jaws.

Tickets for the Craft Drink Festival are available here.