THOUSANDS of music lovers descended on a popular county music festival on its final day.

The Upton Blues Festival is an annual event which brings a host of music, vendors, food stalls and bars to the town of Upton-upon-Severn.

Beginning on Friday, July 21, the three-day event was tipped to break its own attendance record ahead of the festival.

This year is also the festival's 21st birthday and it was also celebrating being named the UK Blues-based Festival of the Year at the UK Blues Awards 2023.

Across three main stages and independent venues in the town, the weekend has had 160 gigs.

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One of the independent venues was The Boathouse, where owner Kyle Hassall was experiencing one of his best-ever events.

He said: "It has been good. I have been here ten years now and this year has been our busiest year.

"Back in the day, things would only really start to get busy on the Friday but we have been really busy since Wednesday with people coming down early to the campsite.

"It is Sunday today and it is not at all fizzling out, we also have bands on tomorrow so it has been nearly a week's worth of traction we have had from the festival.

"It has been brilliant."

Other traders at the event included Annie O'Dell and Richard Reynolds of Barbourne Ciders.

Mr Reynolds said: "We have really enjoyed the event and have loved bringing our range of traditional ciders to the happy blues festival people."

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As in previous years, the town centre was shut to traffic for the weekend so visitors have a safe and easier passage between the main stages and the pubs and bars, plus the two church venues – one of which will be the set for the Acoustic Stage.

The festival's charitable work and its donations over the past seven years have topped £100,000, funding music workshops, buying instruments and recycling instruments for disadvantaged children attending workshops.

New to this year's event was the 'land train' with open carriages, to carry visitors up and down the town centre and an all-American classic car show.