A new festival with a line-up celebrating Croydon’s rich musical history and aiming to bring guitar bands back to the borough is being supported by the council.
Cro Cro Land takes place on 6 April at Urban Xchange, which is part of the Lansdowne Hotel, on Lansdowne Road. The festival, which forms a part of Croydon’s Music City plans, will feature more than 30 of the UK’s most exciting indie and alternative bands across three indoor stages.
Croydon Council is supporting Cro Cro Land with £8,000 in grant funding. It is also being supported by Arts Council England.
The festival will be celebrating Croydon as one of the birthplaces of punk, and the event not only features a gender-balanced bill with a line-up including Blood Red Shoes, Nova Twins, Bang Bang Romeo and Jetstream Pony, but a backstage crew where women are fairly represented as well.
Festival organisers will also be collaborating with Croydon charity Lives Not Knives as part of the event, providing a mentoring programme for young people who have experienced social exclusion and those who have been victims or perpetrators of crime. Those in the programme will have the opportunity to get support and experience valuable work experience by shadowing professionals across all aspects of the event.
“Cro Cro Land forms an important part of our Music City plans and we’re delighted to support it.
“Bands influenced by our borough’s fascinating musical past will be performing on the day and I hope those there enjoy what promises to be an exciting day of live music.”
Councillor Oliver Lewis, cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport
Croydon native Julia Woollams, who is organising the festival with Croydon convert Angela Martin, said: “We’re very excited to be collaborating with so many great organisations on Cro Cro Land to bring together such a vibrant and gender-balanced line-up of artists and crew – creating an awesome day of music in the heart of our hometown.”
For more information, and to buy tickets, visit www.crocroland.co.uk
