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Scarborough Open Air Theatre clocks up 100th show as Courteeners play tonight

100 not out: Courteeners playing the landmark 100th show at the reopened Scarborough Open Air Theatre tonight. Picture: Cuffe and Taylor

COURTEENERS have the honour tonight of performing Scarborough Open Air Theatre’s 100th show since its 2010 reopening.

Supported by Wirral wonders The Coral, the Manchester band will perform under the East Coast setting sun in a week when fellow Mancunians James will play Britain’s largest purpose-built outdoor concert arena tomorrow and Snow Patrol on Friday.

More than 450,000 people have attended a concert at Scarborough OAT since Her Majesty The Queen re-opened the refurbished Scarborough Borough Council-owned venue in Burniston Road 11 years ago.

Headliners to grace the Scarborough stage include Elton John, Tom Jones, Lionel Richie, Kylie Minogue, Noel Gallagher, Dionne Warwick, Cliff Richard, The Beach Boys, George Benson, Bryan Adams, Michael Ball & Alfie Boe, Status Quo, Happy Mondays, Katherine Jenkins, Little Mix and Britney Spears.

After a pandemic-enforced fallow 2020, this year’s star-studded return has featured Stereophonics, Kaiser Chiefs, Culture Club, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Keane, Olly Murs, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro and Anne-Marie before concluding with Duran Duran’s sold-out finale on September 17. 

Councillor Jim Grieve, Scarborough Borough Council’s cabinet member for quality of life, said: “Since reopening in 2010, Scarborough Open Air Theatre has established itself as the borough’s premier outdoor live music venue.

“Working with our partners, we’ve brought some of the biggest names in the music industry to the Yorkshire coast. This has boosted the area’s reputation for high- quality events and contributed millions of pounds to the local economy.

“As we reach the milestone of 100 shows at the theatre this week, we look forward to many more years of fantastic events to come.”

Scarborough Open Air Theatre venue manager Stuart Clark: Worked on 90 of the 100 shows since the 2010 reopening

Live music is programmed at Scarborough OAT by promoters Cuffe and Taylor, who are part of Live Nation and have a ten-year contract to deliver headline shows at the 8,000-capacity venue.

Venue programmer Peter Taylor said: “What a week we have in store here at Scarborough Open Air Theatre. Courteeners, James and Snow Patrol are three of the biggest names in British indie rock and to bring all three here in the same week is just fantastic. This really is going to be a week to remember.

“Cuffe and Taylor are so proud to have programmed live music at this wonderful venue since 2016, in which time we have brought many world-famous music icons to the Yorkshire coast. We absolutely love it and we cannot wait to add to the 100 big-name headliners in the years to come. Watch this space!”

Shows at Scarborough OAT attract thousands of visitors to the Yorkshire coast each summer and have created an estimated benefit to the borough of more than £25m in the past decade.

Cuffe and Taylor work hand in hand with the council-led team at Scarborough OAT. Venue manager Stuart Clark has worked on more than 90 of the 100 headline shows since 2010. “It’s a brilliant venue – a real jewel in the Yorkshire coast’s crown,” he said. “You only have to look at the calibre of artists who come here regularly to realise how well thought of Scarborough OAT is.

“It’s such a team effort to put these shows on and I cannot thank the incredible team here at the venue and Cuffe and Taylor enough. But, above all, we’d all like to thank the people of the borough and the Yorkshire coast for their incredible support of the venue down the years – and here’s to many more brilliant nights at the OAT.” 

Tickets are still available for James and Snow Patrol at scarboroughopenairtheatre.com or on 01723 81811. Gates open at 6pm each night.

Mad about the Boy: Boy George lapping up the cheers at Culture Club’s August 14 concert at Scarborough Open Air Theatre this summer . Picture: Cuffe and Taylor

Details of 100 Scarboroughian Nights

1. Gala Opening Night, 23/7/2010

2. 80’s Rewind Night, 31/7/2010

3. The Doves, 7/8/2010

4. N Dubz, 5/6/2011

5. Elton John, 21/6/2011

6. Musicport, 14/8/2011

7. Last Night Of The Proms, 28/8/2011

8. 80’s Rewind 2011, 2/9/2011

9. Dionne Warwick, 6/6/2012

10. John Barrowman, 21/6/2012

11. Olly Murs, 15/7/2012

12. Russell Watson, 4/8/2012

13. Big Night Out, 18/8/2012

14. JLS, 25/8/2012

15. Olly Murs, 6/6/2013

16. The Wanted, 13/6/2013

17. Happy Mondays, 22/6/2013

18. Leona Lewis, 12/7/2013

19. Status Quo, 27/7/2013

20. Katherine Jenkins, 3/8/2013

Ricky Wilson at Kaiser Chiefs’ gig at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on August 8 2021. Picture: Cuffe and Taylor

21. The Saturdays, 23/8/2013

22. McFly, 30/8/2013

23. Jessie J, 25/6/2014

24. McBusted, 27/6/2014

25. Last Night Of The Proms, 28/6/2014

26. Status Quo, 12/7/2014

27. Boyzone, 26/7/2014

28. Little Mix, 27.7/2014

29. Legends Of Pop 2014, 2/8/2014

30. Union J, 23/8/2014

31. James, 22/5/2015

32. Boyzone, 13/6/2015

33. The Vamps, 20/6/2015

34. Last Night Of The Proms with Alfie Boe, 27/6/2015

35. Jessie J, 10/7/2015

36. Elaine Paige and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 11/7/2015

37. McBusted, 18/7/2015

38. Tom Jones, 29/7/2015

39. Legends Of Pop, 1/8/2015

40. UB40, 14/8/2015

Nile Rodgers & Chic performing at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on August 20 2021. Picture: Cuffe and Taylor

41. Scouting For Girls, 30/8/2015

42. Will Young, 30/6/2016

43. Status Quo, 9/7/2016

44. James Bay, 12/7/2016

45. Wet Wet Wet, 30/7/2016

46. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, 3/8/2016

47. Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott, 5/8/2016

48. Legends Of Pop 2016, 6/8/2016

49. Bryan Adams, 8/8/2016

50. Simply Red, 12/8/2016

51. Busted, 2/9/2016

52. The Beach Boys, 24/5/2017

53. Kaiser Chiefs, 27/5/2017

54. The Charlatans, 16/6/2017

55. The Jacksons, 17/6/2017

56. Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, 28/6/2017

57. Cliff Richard, 29/6/2017

58. UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, 30/6/2017

59. George Benson, 1/7/2017

60. Tom Jones, 2/7/2017

Keane caught in torrential rain at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on August 21 2021. Picture: Cuffe and Taylor

61. Little Mix, 6/7/2017

62. Olly Murs, 9/7/2017

63. Madness, 3/8/2017

64. 80s v 90s, 5/8/2017

65. Jess Glynne, 11/8/2017

66. Lionel Richie, 19/6/2018

67. The Script, 21/6/2018

68. Gary Barlow, 22/6/2017

69. Nile Rodgers & Chic, 24/6/2018

70. Steps, 29/6/2018

71. Alfie Boe, 30/6/2018

72. Emeli Sande, 5/7/2018

73. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, 6/7/2018

74. Stereophonics, 19/7/2018

75. Pete Tong Ibiza Classics, 20/7/2018

76. Il Divo, 21/7/2018

77. James Arthur, 26/7/2018

78. Bastille, 28/7/2018

79. Texas, 11/8/2018

80. Britney Spears, 17/8/2018

Anne-Marie, arms outstretched, at Scarborough Open Air Theatre’s 99th show on August 29 2021. Picture: Cuffe and Taylor

81. James, 18/8/2018

82. Hacienda Classical, 8/6/2019

83. Biffy Clyro, 14/6/2019

84. Cliff Richard, 26/6/2019

85. Years And Years, 18/7/2019

86. Madness, 19/7/2019

87. Lewis Capaldi, 20/7/2019

88. Jess Glynne, 21/7/2019

89. Kylie Minogue, 1/8/2019

90. Lewis Capaldi, 30/8/2019

91. Queen Machine, 31/8/2019

92. Stereophonics, 28/7/2021

93. Kaiser Chiefs, 8/8/2021

94. Culture Club, 14/8/2021

95. Nile Rodgers & Chic, 20/8/2021

96. Keane, 21/8/2021

97. Olly Murs, 27/8/2021

98. UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, 28/9/2021

99. Anne-Marie, 29/8/2021

100. Courteeners, 8/9/2021

Courteeners’ Liam Fray leading tonight’s 100th concert at Scarborough Open Air Theatre. Picture: Cuffe and Taylor

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Bryan Adams moves Scarborough Open Air Theatre July concert to the Summer of ’22

CANADIAN rocker Bryan Adams is moving his entire ten-date UK outdoor tour from 2021 to the Summer of ’22.

Next year, he will play Scarborough Open Air Theatre on July 1 and Harewood House, near Leeds, on July 10. Tickets remain valid for the new shows.

Adams, 61, will be making his second appearance at the Scarborough arena after his sold-out debut on August 8 2016. Once more, he will do Run To You, Cuts Like A Knife, Summer Of ’69, I Do It For You et al for you.

Prompted by Cuffe and Taylor, this summer’s Scarborough OAT programme bears a much-changed look, with some shows moving to later in the summer, others being put back to 2022, and late additions at the back end of the 2021 season too.

Boy George and Culture Club: Playing Scarborough Open Air Theatre on August 14

For this year’s diary, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, have switched from June 19 to August 28; Snow Patrol, from July 3 to September 10; Duran Duran, from July 7 to September 17; Keane, from July 9 to August 21; Olly Murs, July 10 to August 27, and Kaiser Chiefs, July 11 to August 8.

Westlife’s sold-out show retains its August 17 date; likewise, Nile Rodgers & Chic stick with August 20.

Crowded House, the Australian band re-formed by New Zealander Neil Finn, move from June 8 2021 to June 11 2022; Lionel Richie, from June 12 2021 to July 2 next summer; Ru Paul’s Drag Race: Werq The World, from June 20 to May 29; Lewis Capaldi, from July 25 to July 7. The Beach Boys’ June 20 concert this summer is yet to be rearranged.

Additions to the 2021 calendar are: Stereophonics, July 28; Culture Club, August 14; Anne-Marie, August 2, and James, September 9.

Tickets are on sale at: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

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Anne-Marie to play Scarborough Open Air Theatre with Hrvy and Gracey on August 29

Anne-Marie: Scarborough Open Air Theatre debut this summer

ANNE-MARIE will head to the Yorkshire coast on August 29 for a headline concert at Scarborough Open Air Theatre.

The chart-topping Essex singer-songwriter will be joined at her Sunday show that August Bank Holiday weekend by Hrvy and Gracey. Tickets will go on general sale at 9am on Friday, April 2 via ticketmaster.co.uk.

Nine-time BRIT Award nominee Anne-Marie Rose Nicholson, from East Tilbury, near Thurrock, is a former West End child star who has notched four UK top ten singles and 4.5 billion global streams.

Her 2016 breakthrough, Alarm, has been followed by further lead-artist hits Ciao Adios and Friends, with Marshmello, in 2017; 2002, with Ed Sheeran, and Rewrite The Stars, with James Arthur, in 2018, Birthday in 2020 and Don’t Play, a number two success with KSI and Digital this year.

Hrvy: Singing Holiday in Scarborough over August Bank Holiday weekend

Anne-Marie, who will turn 30 on April 7, has been a featured artist, alongside Sean Paul, on Clean Bandit’s 2016 number one, Rockabye; Artists For Grenfell’s 2017 number one, Bridge Over Troubled Water; David Guetta’s Don’t Leave Me Alone in 2018, Live Lounge Allstars’ 2019 chart-topper Times Like These and Rudimental’s Come Over in 2020.

On March 20, millions tuned in to witness Anne-Marie’s debut Grand Final win on ITV’s The Voice UK as she mentored Scotsman Craig Eddie to victory.

Further buoyed last year by his cheeky-chappie performances with Janette Manrara on Strictly Come Dancing, Hrvy already had progressed from singing in his bedroom to signing his first record deal at 15 and achieving hits with Holiday, Phobia, Personal, Me Because Of You and Good Vibes.

After two sell-out British and European tours, Hrvy – real name Harvey Leigh Cantwell – has signed a new global record deal at 22 with BMG.

Gracey: Supporting Anne-Marie at Scarborough Open Air Theatre

Gracey, a platinum-selling songwriter since the age of 16, has written for Rita Ora, Olly Murs and Kylie Minogue and had a top ten smash with Don’t Need Love, her 2020 collaboration with 220 Kid.

Gracey – 23-year-old Grace Barker from Brighton – has since released Empty Love, a collaboration with Australian singer Ruel, and her second EP, The Art Of Closure.

Peter Taylor, of Scarborough Open Air Theatre (OAT) promoters, says: “We are absolutely delighted to announce a headline show this summer with Anne-Marie, supported by Hrvy and Gracey.

“Anne-Marie has had hits around the world, and we’ve had so many requests to bring her here to Scarborough OAT. This is not only going to be a very popular announcement but one of the must-see shows of the summer.”