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Olly Murs to headline festival's 'biggest year'

Daisy BodkinBBC News,West of England
News imageGetty Images Olly Murs, who has brown hair and a beard, is stood on stage whilst performing. He is wearing a black top with a checked jacket. He has his arms in the air and a microphone in hand. Getty Images
Olly Murs and other big names have been announced for next years event

Olly Murs is set to headline a music festival that started as a small community event but has grown year on year.

Good Times Live will return to the South Gloucestershire market town of Chipping Sodbury, near Bristol, in May 2027.

Co-founder James Murden said he would have never expected the festival, which started off as a small-scale event featuring tribute acts, to get so big.

"If someone had told me five years ago that we'd be getting ready to welcome up to 50,000 people across a week... I would have thought they were joking," he said.

The festival started in 2022 at Yate Town Football Club after Murden and his brother-in-law, Tom Campbell, came up with the idea following Covid, as a way to encourage social interaction and live events.

The festival moved to Chipping Sodbury in 2025 and has grown rapidly in recent years, with 32,000 people attending last year and headliners including Tom Odell, Madness, Jessie J and Emeli Sandé.

Murden said he expects 2027 to be the festival's "biggest year", with the Olly Murs announcement and having already sold more than half of the allocated tickets.

He said the response from the public had been "overwhelmingly positive".

"It's been really humbling. It gives a massive sense of pride when we stand and watch thousands of people jumping up and down, singing along to their favourite artists.

"We're really passionate about it and we promise to grow it steadily while still retaining the heart of what the event is supposed to be," he said.

News imageJames Murden A man with short dark hair, wearing a yellow lanyard and a black hoodie which says 'Good Times'. He is smiling and holding his arms out. He is pictured at the festival at night time with large illuminated lights in the background which say 'Good Times'. There are other people in the background. James Murden
Co-founder James Murden never expected the festival to grow so big

Olly Murs, from Essex, rose to fame on The X Factor and went to have hits with tracks like Troublemaker, Dance With Me Tonight and Up.

He will headline next years festival, taking place on 26-31 May, along with Rick Astley, Kaiser Chiefs and Rob Beckett who will perform as part of The Good Times Live Comedy Gala.

More acts are expected to be announced soon.

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