Godiva Festival to celebrate Coventry’s 2-Tone heritage

On Saturday 1 July, a number of artists will be taking to the festival’s stages to celebrate 2-tone as the festival pays tribute to those Coventrians that pioneered the movement.

Adult Saturday tickets, which allow you to join the celebration, are just £12.50 with a range of concessionary, family and premium prices also available

The centrepiece of the celebration will be a performance by the iconic 2-Tone band The Selecter. The Selecter are credited as one of the pioneers of the 2-Tone and no celebration of the genre would be complete without them.

During the day there will also be a showstopping Main Stage performance by experimental orchestra outfit Secret Symphony. Their Godiva Festival show, which is being dubbed the Two-Tone Orchestra, will see them performing many of the genre’s iconic songs.

Joining those two acts on the Saturday will be others inspired by the movement. These include energetic ska collective The Lloyd McGrath Collective, the reggae-fused Basil Gabbidon Band and the Cajun Roosters, Horace Panter’s multi-talented and multi-award-winning international band.

Cllr Pervez Akhtar, Deputy Cabinet Member for Events said: “Coventry is the birthplace of 2-tone so it’s only right that we celebrate that heritage at our city’s premier festival.  

“This is Coventry’s music at Coventry’s festival. It’s going to be a fantastic celebration of our city and we’re delighted to have an iconic Coventry artist like The Selecter joining us for it.

“Saturday tickets are available for just £12.50 but they will be more expensive on the day. So, get yours now, beat the queues and join us for this celebration.”

Pauline Black, Lead vocalist of The Selecter, said: "The Selecter has championed multiculturalism & the two-tone label with their unique style and music to an international audience for over 40 years. We are immensely proud to be continuing that tradition in our hometown of Coventry, the birthplace of two-tone, at Godiva Festival 2023, later this year".

Pete Chambers BEM, Curator of the Coventry Music Museum, said: “It’s right and proper that Coventry’s most celebrated festival should pay homage to Coventry’s most celebrated music genre. Two-Tone music was created here and given to the world and The Coventry Godiva Festival has always echoed to the beat of home-grown Ska and Reggae, it’s exciting to see that continuing again this year.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday are still available for Godiva Festival, with day tickets starting at £8. Premium tickets are also available at £55 per day. All tickets can be purchased via the Godiva Festival website.

Festivalgoers can look forward to seeing The Enemy, Rudimental (DJ Set), Melanie C and much more over the Godiva Festival weekend, 30 June – 2 July, in the city’s War Memorial Park.

For further news head to the Godiva Festival website or follow Godiva Festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Godiva Festival is brought to you by Coventry City Council in partnership with Free Radio, Greatest Hits Radio. The Godiva Festival Family Field is sponsored by Coventry College.