We are delighted to welcome the fabulous Alexandra Burke to Chalfest.
Alexandra rose to fame after winning the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008 and currently stands as one of the most successful winners of the show selling well over 4 million records in the UK alone.

After winning The X Factor, Alexandra released the winner’s single ‘Hallelujah’, becoming the European record holder for single sales over a period of 24 hours, selling 105,000 in one day. The song also became the top-selling single of 2008 in the UK and the UK’s Christmas number one. By January 2009, the single had sold over one million copies in the UK alone, a first for a British female soloist.Her debut album, ‘Overcome’, debuted at number one in the UK Album Charts and spawned four number one singles.

In 2010, Alexandra released Overcome: Deluxe Edition which was followed by ‘Elephant’ with Eric Morillo in February 2012, becoming a hit single, with a peak position of number three in the UK. ‘Let It Go’ served as the second single and Alexandra’s second album, Heartbreak on Hold, was released in June 2012.

Alexandra has since performed as a leading lady  on the West End Stage in Chess, Sister Act and is currently in a sell-out tour of The Bodyguard.

In amongst all this she has successfully toured and been a Strictly finalist.

Alexandra’s success since The X Factor is a testament to her strength and talent as one of the most distinguishable powerhouse voices in the UK.

Expect all the hits and so much more …

Reasons to be cheerful. Chalfest is over the moon to welcome musical royalty The Blockheads to the main stage.

Starting out as the band behind Ian Dury, the Blockheads are a legendary outfit that has grown in stature from the early days of the Stiff tour in 1977, right up to the present day. Backing up Ian Dury’s poetic lyrics, this is the band that brought you ‘Hit Me with your Rhythm Stick’, ‘What A Waste’, ‘Reasons to be Cheerful (Part 3)’, and ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll’, among many others.

Rarely off the road since the demise of Ian Dury in 2000, but now with Derek Hussey fronting the band, the Blockheads are still one of the most underrated British bands of all time, with a legion of fans of all ages.

Their last studio album, ‘Beyond the Call of Dury’, was released in November 2017, which lead into the 40th Anniversary of the band, and complements the upcoming documentary ‘The Blockheads: Beyond the Call of Dury’. It continues to show both their diversity and supreme quality, as well as showcasing their uniqueness.

Derek Hussey’s lyrics in the bands new songs keep the combination of poetry, word play, earthy humour and deadly-accurate observations of everyday, British working-class life, that Ian Dury had perfected, but with an added bite for the 21st century. Hussey is known to the bands followers as Dury’s best friend and minder, memorably singing with Ian and the band at a televised concert in the late 90’s.

Along with some new material, you can expect to hear “Hit Me with your Rhythm Stick”, “Wake Up And Make Love With Me”, “Reasons To Be Cheerful (Part 3)”, “What A Waste”, “Clevor Trever”, “Sweet Gene Vincent” and many more from the illustrious back catalogue.

The Blockheads are fronted by Derek ‘The Draw’ Hussey, and Chaz Jankel, Norman Watt-Roy, John Turnbull and Mick Gallagher still remain from the original band. The current line-up is augmented by John Roberts on drums and a rolling line up of saxophonists that includes Gilad Atzmon, Terry Edwards and Dave Lewis.

It’s gonna be a blast Chalfest!!