Shania Twain to headline Essex festival next year

Country pop music icon Shania Twain has been revealed as the first headliner for next year's second edition of an Americana music festival in Essex.

The five-time Grammy-award winner will perform at State Fayre in Hylands Park, Chelmsford, on Saturday, 19 June.

The singer, whose hits include Man, I Feel Like A Woman and That Don't Impress Me Much, said she had heard the event, which was held for the first time this summer, was "a blast", adding: "I can't wait to experience it for myself."

Organisers described Twain as "an icon not just in the history of country music, but also in global culture itself" and said she would be "the perfect fit for what State Fayre is all about".

The inaugural event saw performers including Kings of Leon and Alanis Morissette perform at the site, which was formerly home to V Festival and hosted BBC Radio 2 in the Park in September 2025.

State Fayre promoters said more than 50,000 fans attended June's event, which celebrates "Americana culture spanning genres".

Twain, who performed at Glastonbury in the "legends slot" in 2024, said she would be performing her classic hits as well as material from her recently-released album.

"We all know I love the UK and my UK fans are the best," she added.

The Canadian star released her self-titled debut album in 1993 and her 1997 album Come On Over is listed by Guinness World Records as the biggest-selling studio album by a female solo artist with an estimated 40 million copies sold.

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