RockPrest: Preston's tribute festival is coming back - and it's going to be bigger than ever

Organisers of RockPrest, which is now in its ninth year, have announced that this year there will be three stages instead of two, with a host of new acts already signed up for July 8 and 9.

Click here to see pictures from RockPrest 2022

One thing that won’t be changing though, is the price of admission, with tickets kept at £11 for adults and £3 for children.

Jools Taylor said: “We’re expanding it this year with three stages. It gives us more capacity for more acts and bands, there’s 35 to 40 signed up so far.

"Moor Park is quite a big place, so that’s a great opportunity for us, and there’s also a big demand.

"In this financial climate, people are turning away from other festivals and coming to us. The average price for a festival is up at £100, and when you add other bits and bobs on, it’s serious money."

Jools said the tribute act market was growing in popularity, with RockPrest acts covering a range “from Noel Gallagher to Metallica”. He said that the Saturday performances will be based more on rock music, with an indie vibe scheduled for the Sunday.

On Saturday, you can expect to see tributes to the likes of Guns N Roses, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Rage Against the Machine, Status Quo and Pearl Jam.

On Sunday, there will be tributes to Elvis, the Beastie Boys, Pet Shop Boys, The Smiths, Red Hot Chili Peppers and many more.

As well as music performances, there will also be food and beer stalls and funfair attractions on both days.

Jools added: “It’s family-friendly, it always has been. We want to help introduce people to festivals – it’s a good way of seeing whether the experience is for you.”

The history

RockPrest began in 2015 as a sister festival to Festwich in Prestwich, Manchester, and has grown ever since. Last year 10,000 people attended each day.

In 2020 the event was cancelled due to the pandemic, and in 2021 it had to be rescheduled from June, because of changes in coronavirus restrictions.