South Tyneside Festival brought together music fans for a nostalgic trip with performances by Nik Kershaw and Katrina Leskanich, along with local talent.
South Tyneside Festival Delights Eighties Music Fans
Crowds of music fans flocked to South Shields on Sunday to party in the park along with some eighties pop favourites. Everyone was out to embrace the summer as the latest South Tyneside Festival concert got under way while some were also prepared for a spot of rain, with a few waterproofs and umbrellas.
The atmosphere in Bents Park was full-on party spirit when Nik Kershaw and the star of Katrina and the Waves took to the stage to roll back the years. Kershaw, solo hit-maker of the eighties, made his name with the likes of Wouldn't It Be Good and Wide Boy and he has continued to deliver for fans ever since.
Before his set, support Katrina Leskanich - famous for enduring favourite Walking on Sunshine - quickly wowed the crowds too. While the weather might not have been totally on board with the sunshine theme, the singer - herself a solo star since Katrina and the Waves came to an end a couple of years after the band won the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest with Love Shine a Light - kept the summer vibe going.
Local Talent and Fan Reactions
- For those not elsewhere watching the England's women team on their way to Euro victory, Sunday's concert day - the third in the festival series - proved a winner in itself, with local talent The Lovemakers and The Understudies also adding to the line-up.
- Followers of the South Tyneside Event's Facebook page left comments including "it was a great day of fabulous entertainment" and "another brilliant event".
- One concert-goer wrote: "Was an absolutely fab day and Nik Kershaw's voice just hasn't changed 40 years later!" The final South Shields concert in the Sunday series is this weekend.
Upcoming Performances
The August 3 programme is set to feature Björn Again; Nadine Coyle; Voices of Virtue Gospel Choir and Hels Pattison. For more about the concert as well as the full festival, which continues until September, see here.
Published on 28 July 2025 by Ben Robinson
