Southport Together Family Festival at Southport Pleasureland this coming weekend will kickstart a fundraising drive to raise £1m for local hospitals and the air ambulance. Tony McDonough reports

Southport Pleasureland owner Norman Wallis will begin fulfilling his pledge to raise £1m for local hospitals and the air ambulance this weekend with a special family event.

Following the tragic events in the town at the end of July, Norman now aims to raise money for the hospitals and the North West Air Ambulance service which is funded entirely by donations.

Southport was shaken to its core on July 29 when Six-year-old Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged seven, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar were killed in an horrific stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga event in Hart Street.

A further eight children and two adults were hospitalised following the attack. Axel Rudakubana from Banks near Southport will face three murder charges, 10 attempted murder charges and a charge of possession of a bladed article in a trial in 2025.

Similar to many people in the town, Norman has been left devastated by the tragedy as well as trouble on the streets in the same week. As well as his £1m pledge he is also urging people to support local businesses.

“The Kinghas been, which is great, and we’ve got to move forward now, we’ve got to tell people to stand with Southport. It’s a beautiful place to live, work and visit but the government and the council need to help us otherwise we’re going to have resort failure.”

On Sunday, September 1, Pleasureland will host the Southport Together Family Festival to kickstart the £1m fundraising effort. On the day the park will cut its prices from £24.99 to £15 each on that day, and pledged to donate proceeds to the fundraising efforts.

Norman said “A lot of people in the region still refer to Pleasureland as ‘The Fair’ and I think that’s mainly down to how long it has been since they last visited. We’ve invested a huge amount into making Southport Pleasureland a destination that the town can be proud of.

“I am always delighted to be able to show our visitors that a visit to Pleasureland is so much more than a day at the fair, it’s a place to come and make memories with your family.

“That will be especially true on September 1 as we’ve pulled off an incredible lineup of entertainment and activities for the day, all in aid of our fundraising efforts for the hospitals and the air ambulance.”

This event will welcome a number of music acts. In addition to The Lilacs, announced last week, organisers have revealed two new headline acts.

Aziz Ibrahim has been confirmed to play the main stage. Best known as lead guitarist with The Stone Roses (and subsequently alongside Ian Brown after their split), Simply Red, Paul Weller, and Asia, Aziz has played some of the biggest stages in the world.

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Eurodance sensation Ian van Dahl will also be heading to Pleasureland to bring some old school trance vibes to the festival. Best known for the 1999 hit Castles in the Sky, this Belgian act will take to the main stage on Sunday evening.

Local broadcaster, host and entertainer Claire Simmo will be in the park throughout the day too, adding her own very special touch of sparkle to proceedings. The Southport Together Family Fun Day will include:

• Unlimited access to the park’s rides and attractions.
• Three stages featuring live music acts throughout the day.
• Stilt walkers, dinosaur rangers, close up magic, and roaming performers across the park all day.
• Classic cars, trucks, military vehicles, and emergency services vehicles.
• A craft village featuring local makers and craft stalls.

Click here to purchase tickets and select ‘1st September’ on the booking page. Those who can’t make it can still donate to the fundraising drive by clicking here.