CONSIDERING around 200,000 people are relying on him and his team to provide them with some unforgettable entertainment over the next couple of weeks, Peter Taylor sounds remarkably relaxed.

Peter is one half of Cuffe and Taylor, the promoters of the Lytham Festival which will see household names such as Diana Ross, Duran Duran and The Strokes performing live on Lytham Green.

“Yes, it’s busy but we can’t complain about that,” he said. “It will be three years since the last Lytham Festival and we can’t wait.”

Contractors will tomorrow be moving on to the site to start setting up the festival arena but Peter and his team already have their sights on 2023.

“It’s really a continuous cycle for me,” he said. “It’s a bit like the Forth Bridge, you get to the end and then have to start again straight away.”

Peter and his partner Daniel Cuffe have become one of the country’s leading promoters. As well as Lytham Festival they are also responsible for Scarborough Ope Air Theatre and this weekend start to promote shows at Halifax’s historic Piece Hall. Then there are the 11,000 theatre shows which they also oversee.

“We do stuff all over the country,” said Peter, “but Lytham is very much our baby, it’s the big one in our calendar. It’s the event with the most people coming to it. This year it’s over two weeks so it’s a big proposition and it’s also in our home town so it’s hugely important.

“When you look at the line-up this year - Diana Ross, the Strokes, Duran Duran, Paul Weller – did you ever think they would be on Lytham Green? When I was growing up I don’t think that was even a thing. Now more people come to festival than the population of the town – it shows what the event has evolved into.”

Like the rest of the entertainment industry, Lytham fell victim to the Covid pandemic which forced its cancellation in 2020 and 2021.

“In spite of everything that was going on I never thought that Lytham Festival wouldn’t happen again,” said Peter. “Last year we really tried to make some things work so we created Wonderhall in the grounds of Lytham Hall which was really well received and gave us some ideas for the future which was really positive.”

Wonderhall will return in 2023 Peter revealed.

“It’s got a totally different vibe,” he said. “We’re looking at introducing more stages and making more of a true festival event. At the end of the day Lytham Festival is really a series of massive concerts so it’s nice to be able to offer that variety.”

The success of Lytham Festival and the quality of acts that it attracts can partly be attributed to the enthusiasm and dedication of Peter and his team.

“When I’m programming the festival I tend to keep a multi-generational family in mind,” said Peter. “My aim is to make sure that they have all got something that they potentially would want to come and see. I don’t think that any one person will come to every night.

“We have been doing this long enough now to know agents and manager. You get to know who will be touring - I know know of people who will be touring in 2024 and 2025.

“You start off with a bit of a wish list but you have to balance that with who is available, you start to have talks and then eventually you have to put your money where your mouth is.”

Peter is particularly excited to have The Strokes as a headliner this year.

“I think securing them has opened up the festival to a different kind of artist,” he said. “We have had agents calling us on the back of that particular announcement.”

Lytham has also gained a great reputation among performers.

“You can never underestimate word of mouth among artists,” said Peter. “The Strokes came after someone from Liam Gallagher’s camp said that Lytham was a fantastic venue with a great vibe.

“I don’t think some people can believe that Lytham Festival will finally go ahead but I can assure everyone it’s back in business with a fantastic line-up and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back.”

Diana Ross gets Lytham Festival underway on Tuesday, June 28. For details of all 10 nights of the event visit www.lythamfestival.com