An eclectic trio of productions will head to Coventry next month as the city’s Assembly Festival Garden prepares to wrap up the summer holiday fun.
Assembly Festival Garden has announced three new shows to join the exciting line-up in the Queen of Flanders spiegeltent that will entertain the whole family this summer, from vibrant Caribbean-inspired celebrations and impeccable tribute acts, to out-of-this-world interactive children’s shows.
From 3 August, Havana Rumba will parade into the Assembly Festival Garden, telling the story of the Black music of Cuba from thrilling rhythms of African ancestors to infectious funk music played on the streets today. Eight dancers and the brilliant seven-piece Salsa band Sonora La Calle will set the Queen of Flanders alight each evening, in a sizzling summer spectacular of Rum, Rumba and Reggaeton with the hottest dancers direct from Havana.
Then at the weekend, the Havana Dance Party takes over the Queen of Flanders in an interactive dance class with the stars of the Havana Rumba show. Get the mojitos in, put on your dancing shoes and get ready for an incredible music and dance experience that Coventry has never seen before. Shake your booty to this year’s latest Latin hits at an unforgettable night of intoxicating Cuban spirit and joy.
On 5 August the Assembly Festival Garden welcomes Replica LIVE! for a special one-off event, with music inspired by The Spice Girls, Michael Jackson, Mumford & Sons and Jess Glynne.
Viva 4 Ever is filled with singalong hits and epic costumes for the ultimate Spice Girls performance. Emulating the latest world tour including all-new costumes, Scary, Baby, Ginger and Sporty are bringing girl power to the Queen of Flanders.
MJ Eternity will feature dazzling costumes, stunning choreography and the mannerisms, moves and magic of Michael Jackson from Danny Oliver, who was even chosen by Michael Jackson's world tour lead guitarist, Jennifer Batten, to perform beside her on stage in the UK and Europe.
Chasing Mumford expertly capture the unique spirit, image and vibe of Mumford & Sons with a five-piece group of multi-instrumentalists who are all massive fans committed to recreating their original sound and songs as faithfully as possible.
Donna Ramsdale perfectly recreates the voice, look, energy and epic live performance experience of chart-topping Grammy Award-winner and BAFTA Award nominee Jess Glynne.
Finally, the summer comes to a close as Braniac Live! comes to Coventry with two immersive children’s shows.
Join the Brainiac Detective Academy (27 - 29 Aug), in an interactive 60-minute hands-on workshop providing young detectives with an opportunity to use real forensic techniques to discover clues and help solve a mystery. Trainee Detectives will analyse everything from fingerprints to the ink used to write a ransom note and a footprint found at the crime scene to find out who committed the crime.
And the hugely entertaining Brainiac Astronaut Academy (27-29 Aug) led by the Brainiacs, provides young astronauts and their families with an opportunity to test their Rocket Design, Engineering, and Space exploration skills. The Brainiac team will help you build your ultimate spacecraft and understand the science of space.
In addition to these headline shows, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) Charity will hold a summer celebration in the Assembly Festival Garden on 20 August. Chris Difford, founding member of Squeeze, and Coventry singer/songwriter Caitlin McCarthy will be performing at Penguino and Friends Present UHCW Charity Fest to help raise vital funds for patients and their families, with more acts to be announced soon.
William Burdett-Coutts, Artistic Director at Assembly Festival, said: “The summer line-up at Assembly Festival Garden is designed to immerse Coventry audiences of all ages in entertainment of the highest quality within the city centre Garden.
“Our August programme builds on a string of incredible productions that have joined us from across the world. We hope that all our shows will help to create lasting memories for Coventry residents and visitors from across the region.”
Assembly Festival Garden was originally part of Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 and remains in the city until September 2022 as part of the legacy programme.
To keep up to date with all Assembly Festival Garden news and future programme announcements visit www.assemblyfestivalgarden.com. Find on social @AssemblyGardens.