Stars Gather For UK’s First Gospel Festival

This Sunday (July 24) the world famous Hyde Park will play host to the first ever gospel music festival in Uk.

According to The Voice of London, five thousand people are expected to attend the inaugural UK Gospel Music Festival (UGMF). Among the stars expected to be performing are Noel Robinson & Nu Image, Victizzle, Coco Dupree.

The event is the brainchild of Atim Obot, Nigerian based in UK.

She says God inspired her to organise a music event that reaches out to the wider community after 30 days of fasting for a personal matter.

She recalls “God gave me the idea to do this festival, after some months of frustration in our current UK Gospel scene. I felt that we needed to come out of the churches (where it was safe) and into areas where multitudes particularly our youth in London, could hear positive music of a contemporary nature.”

She had no problems getting artists to appear at the UGMF.

“I think the majority of the artists were happy that gospel music is being placed in a location where young London can come together whether they’re Christian or non-Christian to enjoy it.”

Atim, a member of Jesus House church in Brent Cross, is part of a growing band of young Christians that are both educated and entrepreneurial. She has a degree in Music and Industry Management and Marketing and runs Nu Beginnings which she founded in January 2009.

Much of Atim’s knowledge of the UK gospel scene comes from doing work experience at Zoe Gospel, a UK-based music label which made history when their artist Lola became the first black British person to win a prestigious Dove Award at a ceremony in Nashville earlier this year.

In fact, Zoe Gospel were so impressed with her they gave her a job.

It’s her hope that UGMF will foster positivity. “I want people to recognise how gospel music can bring about unity and change in our communities and to recognise how much of our young people in London and across the UK want to make a difference in other people’s lives.”