Singing Stars Of THE VOICE KIDS UK Join KidsFest Line-Up

A trio of the singing stars of tomorrow are heading to Liverpool next weekend to take part in a special family festival.

Talented young singers from TV show The Voice Kids UK will join the line-up of entertainment at KidsFest on Sunday, 20 August.

Fans of The Voice Kids UK won't want to miss rapper Lil T and singer Jake McKechnie, who were chosen for Team Will.i.am, and fellow vocalist Lewis Blissett, who was signed up for Team Pixie Lott.

KidsFest is a free family event and takes place for the third consecutive year at Stanley Park in Anfield at the end of the Summer holidays, giving children one last big adventure before the new school year starts in September.

The free festival has become the 'go to' event for families in North Liverpool and beyond, with more than 15,000 visitors since it was first held two years ago.

The festival is organised by the James Bulger Memorial Trust (JBMT) in partnership with Orb Events. The Trust was set up in memory of toddler James Bulger who was murdered in 1993 aged just two. Its mission is to fund and organise holidays and respite breaks for deserving children and their families.

KidsFest is now less than two weeks away, and organisers are delighted to announce that tomorrow's singing stars - Lil T, Jake McKechnie and Lewis Blissett - will be joining the line-up to entertain the crowds on 20 August.

Leicester schoolboy 11-year-old Lil T stunned judges on the show with his electric version of grime artist Skepta's Shutdown - and Will.i.am even joined him on stage, giving him a high five and a hug. Lil T has been rapping since he was aged eight, and has performed alongside various artists including P Money, Sam Bailey, Bizzi Dixon, Misha B, Matt Terry, Michelle John, and Mr Zip.

Lil T said: "I am so honoured and excited to be performing at KidsFest for such a good cause."

Jake, who is from Orrell, was giving a standing ovation by the studio audience when he appeared on the kids version of the hit TV singing contest earlier this Summer, performing John Legend's All of Me. Will.i.am described him as "pretty awesome" and praised his powerful vocal performance.

Jake commented: "I am really looking forward to performing at Kidsfest in support of the James Bulger Memorial Trust. It's going to be a great day."

Meanwhile singer and actress Pixie Lott was charmed by youngster Lewis and his rendition of her song Cry Me Out. He ended up on her team, despite a bidding war among the judges. The self-taught 13-year-old singer also dances, he is a fan of performing power ballads. Lewis has chosen to sing Inspired by Miley Cyrus and Somewhere Over The Rainbow at KidsFest.

Lewis added: "I feel honoured to perform at this amazing event, turning negative into a positive, with families coming together to support such a great charity. I hope that I do the James Bulger Memorial Trust and James' family proud."

KidsFest was first staged in 2015 and was attended by 5,000 people in the first year, with the figure jumping to more than 8,000 visitors last year.

This year's KidsFest is set to be bigger and better than ever before as it expands in to a large space in Stanley Park thanks to support from Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson.

Lil T, Jake and Lewis join a packed programme of entertainment which has already been announced, including SingMe Merseyside, and talented youngsters from LMA (Liverpool Media Academy), who have just been seen on BBC's Pitch Battle.

The festival will be packed with entertainment, activities, workshops and attractions to create a fantastic family friendly event in the heart of North Liverpool.

Attractions also include pony and donkey rides; dance; a Silly Sports Day to get families active; fairground rides; Royal Marine assault course; family football tournament; balloon sculptures; and a pop-up food market.

Denise Fergus, James' mother and patron of the James Bulger Memorial Trust, commented: "We are absolutely thrilled to be welcoming Lil T, Jake and Lewis to the KidsFest 2017 line-up - I know there are going to be a lot of excited fans of The Voice Kids UK who will be very excited to hear them perform live on the day.

"When we launched KidsFest it was another way of remembering James and creating a positive and inspirational legacy in his name. I am sure that when our festivalgoers come along on 20 August and watch the starts of tomorrow, they will most definitely be inspired to also follow their dreams - in the same way as I am sure James would have done."

Website: www.forjames.org

Facebook: Facebook/JamesBulgerMT

Twitter: @JBMT1

@kidsfest

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