Trio of multi-million selling stars to headline Countdown to Christmas
Three artists with more than 25 million worldwide record sales between them have today been revealed as the headline live acts for Newport Now BID’s annual Countdown to Christmas spectacular.
This year’s event has a retro Nineties/Noughties music theme with S Club 7 star Bradley McIntosh, Amelle Berrabah from Sugababes, and chart toppers Liberty X all performing a string of chart-topping hits live on the day.
Running from 2pm to 5.30pm on Saturday, November 14, Countdown to Christmas will feature live music, fairground rides and celebrity guests, culminating in the official switching on of Newport’s city centre 2026 Christmas lights.
There will also be a breathtaking laser light show to end the event, produced in partnership with the Principality Building Society.
Bradley McIntosh is best known as a member of the hugely-successful pop group S Club 7.
S Club 7 were rarely out of the charts in the late 1990s and early 2000s, becoming the biggest pop band in the country. The group enjoyed their own television show, in addition to four number-one singles, 11 top ten singles and a whopping 166 weeks spent in the top 75.
Before disbanding in 2003, the group won two Brit Awards and sold more than 14 million albums globally.
After a reunion appearance for Children in Need in 2014, the band reformed in 2015 and the sell-out ‘Bring It All Back’ arena tour followed.
Since then, Bradley has featured in various reiterations of the band, performing at numerous festivals, while also maintaining a career as a solo artist.
Amelle Berrabah joined Sugababes in 2005. The girl group went on to have worldwide success during her time with the band, selling more than 12 million albums, with 26 top 10 hits and two number 1 singles.
Amelle is the first and only member of Sugababes to achieve a number one single outside the band with her collaboration with Tinchy Stryder, Never Leave You, which was the biggest selling single of 2009.
Since leaving Sugababes, Amelle has starred in the hugely successful touring musical Club Tropicana and has a nightly show on DAB radio station MKFM.
Liberty X currently consists of singers Michelle Heaton, Jessica Taylor and Kelli Young.
The group was formed in 2001 by finalists from the TV series Popstars, and quickly became chart regulars.
Across a seven-year career, Liberty X released three albums, achieved eight top ten singles and played a series of sell-out tours. They sold more than three million records worldwide.
Their 2002 number one single Just A Little won an Ivor Novello award and was named Best British Single at the Brit Awards.
Liberty X will also be switching on the Christmas lights with the city’s mayor Councillor Deb Harvey.
Organised and delivered by the Newport Now Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with Newport City Council, Newport City Radio and the Principality Building Society, Countdown to Christmas will mirror the BID’s hugely-successful previous annual events.
The main stage will be at the junction of Charles Street and Commercial Street, with the laser light show taking place in John Frost Square.
As announced last week, three rising stars of Welsh music will be taking to the Newport City Radio-hosted stage to open the event – Ernie Emmanuel, Emma Mac and Cally Rhodes.
There will be fairground rides in Commercial Street and along the riverfront, with face painters in Kingsway and Friars Walk and costume characters in the streets surrounding the stage.
Two hours of free parking is available every day in all council-owned car parks in the city centre – a scheme that runs until January.
The event will culminate with the Christmas lights switch-on at 5.15pm followed by the laser show at 5.30pm.
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