Young people are leading on the return of a festival that celebrates the best of local and national upcoming talent this October.

Kings Jam Festival is making its long-awaited comeback after a two-year break. Known and loved by young people for celebrating the best of Black music and culture, Kings Jam has supported over 100 emerging artists and attracted over 12,000 attendees since 2017. Now, it’s back with a different look and will include renowned acts sharing the stage with upcoming local talent.

Alongside the return of Kings Jam, Chispa CIC will be launching a brand-new bar park built and supplied by The Great Outdoor Gym Company Ltd, the pioneers of outdoor gyms. The bespoke bar park will be a base for parkour, calisthenics, and acrobatics but also a platform for youth empowerment and leadership development. The event features a community chase tag competition, demonstrations of parkour; calisthenics; acrobatics; freestyle & flow; and breaking workshops and showcases. Highlights include showcases and workshops by organisations like Upswing and Your Next Move, engaging audiences in a range of activities that demonstrate the creativity and energy of Gloucester’s young people.

The aptly named event Bars in the Park is taking place on 12th October 2024. The team of young people have organised a whole day of live music, performances, and creative workshops with the hope to make them a regular part of the City’s events. The event, running from 10 AM to 10 PM, will feature national acts alongside local talent and opportunities to have a go on the bar park yourself.

Keep up to date with the event here: https://www.facebook.com/KingsJamFestival

Bars in the Park is more than just a pop-up festival— it aims to bring Gloucester’s communities together and highlighting the need to put a spotlight on local creative talent, this event is a chance for young people to get involved, build skills, and experience the creative industry first hand. It’s an opportunity for them to experience high quality arts and culture right on their doorstep

The event is support by Gloucester City Council, CHISPA CIC, The Music Works, and Arts Council England and is part of Together Gloucester: an ambitious programme putting communities at the heart of cultural decision making.