The nationwide Oxjam music festival reaches its peak this weekend as more than 2,000 musicians perform simultaneously in 22 cities to raise money for Oxfam. The Oxjam Takeover sees hundreds of venues uniting to put together the most ambitious range of fundraising music events nationwide, with locations taking in everything from pubs and clubs to puppet theatres.
Oxjam is a festival with a difference: hundreds of fundraising music events put on by ordinary people throughout October – from large-scale festivals to local sponsored busks - making it the biggest line-up of any music festival in the country.
The festival was officially launched on the 28th September with a four-night run of intimate gigs in a specially-converted charity shop in south London, and saw exclusive sets from musical legends including Fatboy Slim, Editors, VV Brown and Basement Jaxx.
Since Oxjam began in 2006, more than 36,000 musicians have played to an audience of over 750,000 people at almost 3,000 Oxjam events, raising in excess of £1 million to fight poverty around the world.
Editors singer Tom Smith said: “What better way is there for music fans to help fight worldwide poverty than Oxjam? It's fantastic for us to be involved, raising money at the shows and letting our fans know what can be done. Whether it's busking, playing in an orchestra or performing at a local gig, every note played can help change people’s lives.”
The month-long music festival reaches its climax with the Oxjam Takeover this weekend across 22 cities. In Glasgow alone more than 100 bands will perform. Takeover events are taking place in the following cities:
23 October: Edinburgh
24 October: Birmingham, Brecon
24-25 October: Glasgow
25 October: Aberdeen, Bath, Blackburn, Brighton, Bristol, Chester, Chichester, Derby, Exeter, Leeds, Leicester, London (Kilburn & Brixton) Manchester, Norwich, Nottingham, Southampton, Swansea.
