Battle of the Bands Preston announces free youth music concert featuring 'all local talent'
Noticing a lack of opportunities for young musicians in Lancashire, one Preston bar manager has set up an exciting new music event...
Organised by Battle of the Bands Preston, The Preston Youth Music Concert on Sunday, August 30 promises to be a celebration of young musical talent from across the city.
The free event, funded by Preston City Council plus other local sponsors, will bring together aspiring Preston musicians to perform, grow, and share their passion for music with the community.
Explaining why he wanted to set up the event, lead organiser Kevin Quinn, who is the bar manager at Guild Ale House said: “I’ve worked at Guild Ale for 10 years now and we have open mic every week, then the Orchard [sister site] has had live music since the get go. I’ve seen so many musicians over the years and whilst older musicians always seem to get gigs, younger musicians don't really get that much opportunity to perform. They come to our open mics and you see how much talent they've got. It doesn’t half make you feel old when there's 13/14-year-olds, actually smashing songwriting, performing, the whole thing.”
The concert aims to give young people from across the local area the opportunity to develop their confidence, performance skills, and creativity in front of a live audience.
The eight chosen participants will gain real-world, paid experience while showcasing the dedication and hard work they have put into their music.
Performing on the night will be:
- Regan Sanchez at 2pm- A 16-year-old who has been wowing audiences at local open mics for years with her fresh style, reportedly ‘adding a bit of emo to the ukulele’.
- Lois Brooks at 3pm- A 16-year-old pop singer-songwriter and pianist from the Fylde Coast who has secured multiple independent number-one spots, including topping the US-based aBreak58 playlist chart and the itisnow radio Top 40.
- Lucas Williams Band at 4pm- Lucas Williams is a 15-year-old singer-songwriter from Lancashire who has been performing live since the age of 12. He brings a band of young musicians with him.
- Caroline 95 at 5pm - An alternative rock band hailing from Longton, comprised of Harry on bass and vocals, Joe on guitar and vocals and Oscar on drums.
- Jude Philipson & Shannon Lamont at 6pm- Friends who have just finished high school together, this brand new duo will be making their performance debut with Jude on piano and Shannon on vocals.
- Tegan Hughes at 7pm- A 17-year-old singer-songwriter whose songwriting and vocals have earned recognition as a BBC Introducing Lancashire & Cumbria One to Watch 2026
- Lydia Rose at 8pm- A 16 year old singer-songwriter and guitarist who has been flooding open mic nights and owning her own gigs, both solo and with a band.
- Koja- The headline act, Koja is a high energy pop punk band from Preston, consisting of Kody on vocals and guitar, Jack on drums and Ethan on bass .
Encouraging Prestonians to come along, Kevin said: “It's purely local talent, so it's not like we're getting tribute bands or anything from the other side of the country. It's all young local bands and musicians- some of them you’ll have heard of, some of them you won't.
“It just gives them support because, as I said before, there's not a lot of opportunities for young people to actually showcase their talent. There might be the odd festival where they can get a small stage but to actually give them a paid gig in front of a full live audience, a lot of venues might choose to go down the more experienced route because they don't want to take the chance on a teenager.
“I just hope the concert inspires the next generation of musicians and can act as a stepping stone to bigger things.”
The Preston Youth Music Concert will run between 2:00pm and 10:00pm and requires no booking.