Kingston has won funding for a new music festival as part of the first ever London Borough of Culture awards.

Although not winning the title for either 2019 or 2020, the Kingston Live Music festival has been allocated £90,000 as part of a Cultural Impact Award.

The festival, inspired by the area’s musical heritage, including the old Decca Records pressing plant in New Malden, will be brought to life by young musicians, promoters and businesses.

Council leader Kevin Davis said: "This is fantastic news for our Royal Borough. We’re proud to have been considered for the London Borough of Culture and we will certainly be using this opportunity to shine a light on Kingston’s hidden gems and make Kingston vibrate with sound to celebrate.

"We’ll now get to work planning and organising what will be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, single borough-wide celebration of live music that Kingston has ever seen. Watch this space."

The plan is for a seven-stop live music circuit across the borough, with emerging artists, musicians taking centre stage.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, said: "London is a 24-hour city with a thriving night-time economy. That’s why I’m delighted to support Kingston’s project to encourage further investment in their live music scene, opening up opportunities for young artists in the borough and celebrating the diverse culture of the area.”

Waltham Forest and Brent won the titles for 2019 and 2020 respectively, and six other boroughs across the capital won funding for other projects, including neighbouring Merton, which is trying to establish a local cinema in Mitcham.

Mr Khan said: “London Borough of Culture is a game-changer for the capital. It will give all Londoners, regardless of background, the opportunity to enjoy the capital’s fantastic cultural riches, discover places they never knew existed and will increase the level of participation in the arts across the city – especially in outer London boroughs.”

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