York is going to get Rick rolled in the best way ever this summer.
Eighties legend Rick Astley was announced this morning as the first headliner for the Music Showcase Weekend at York Racecourse, taking to the stage on the evening of Friday, 23 July.
Less than 24 hours later, McFly will be headlining following an afternoon of racing on Saturday, 24 July.
The double header was revealed exclusively on YorkMix Radio this morning.
Breakfast show presenters Ben and Laura were joined by James Brennan, head of marketing and sponsorship at York Racecourse.
James said: “Everyone at the course is really excited that these magical racing and music events are scheduled to return.
“With a northern boy set to play, then a band that bring a smile to many faces, add in the spectacle of the racing itself and we hope it will prove a summer weekend to savour.”
Ticket details
Those booking now can take advantage of the early bird and group rate deals on general admission tickets.
Admission to the main Grandstand and Paddock enclosure starts at just £28 per person for a group of six and racegoers aged 5-17 enjoy a special rate of £10.
To book visit yorkracecourse.co.uk
The dates in late July fall well after the scheduled ‘step 4 of the roadmap’. However, given the circumstances, racegoers are offered a guaranteed refund in the event of Covid related alterations, as well as the reassurance that all Covid-19 protocols that are applicable at the time of the event, will be followed
Rick Astley
Rick Astley is enjoying a major career resurgence.
He had already sold more than 40 million albums fuelled by hits like the chart-topping Never Gonna Give You Up, Whenever You Need Somebody, Together Forever, When I Fall in Love, She Wants To Dance With Me and Cry For Help.
In 2016 he returned with new music and released wholly self-penned platinum album ’50’ that has to date sold more than 400,000 copies.
In 2018 he followed it up with another self-penned & produced top ten album, Beautiful Life, and in 2019 released a career spanning top 5 album ‘The Best of Me’, a best of compilation with eleven additional reimagined tracks and new single ‘Every One Of Us’.
Rick played to 500,000 on a tour supporting Take That in 2019. He has also graced the main stage of the legendary Reading Festival, performing ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ with one of the worlds biggest rock bands, Foo Fighters.
McFly
With seven UK number-one singles, six top-ten albums, six sell-out tours, four million tickets and ten million albums sold worldwide, McFly are one of the most significant British pop acts of the 21st century.
Since hitting the big time as the youngest band ever to have a debut album go straight to number one — beating The Beatles’ long-standing record — Tom, Danny, Dougie and Harry have become one of our best-loved bands, not to mention major stars in their own right.
In November 2019 McFly played their most recent gig, ‘One Night Only’ at The O2 Arena, a sold out stand-alone show to mark their reformation and return to music, especially for their fans.
In 2020, the band released their highly anticipated new album ‘Young Dumb Thrills’, their first studio album in 10 years.
With singles ‘Happiness’, ‘Tonight Is The Night’ and ‘You’re Not Special’ being played all over Radio 2 and the band performing on BGT, Graham Norton and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, as well as making their own documentary about their hiatus for ITV1 called ‘All About Us’.
They last played York races in October 2012.
Meanwhile, on the racecourse itself, Friday evening will see Pattern race action in the European Breeder’s Fund Lyric Stakes, with The Sky Bet York Stakes as the six-figure centerpiece of a seven-race card on Saturday, that will precede the concert.