It's been revealed that Leicester's Big Session Festival will be moving dates and location in 2011.

The news of the move is revealed on the organiser's, Oysterband's, myspace blog, (here), which says,

"Please be advised that we are on the move and Big Session Festival will not be held at Leicester's De Montfort Hall next year.

Whilst we sympathise with the difficult position LCC and other councils are in, faced with inevitable cuts, it has become clear that it will be impossible to continue The Big Session at De Montfort Hall without seriously compromising its character and aims. We would therefore like warmly to thank LCC and the De Montfort staff for 6 great years as we announce that the festival will be finding a new site for the future.

The Big Session was always conceived as a moveable feast of music, never tied to one particular place, and we are already involved in very interesting discussions with other parties to develop exciting prospects for the event. It is likely that the date of the festival will also change. We will be able to make another announcement in late January so watch this space! Our apologies for any inconvenience."

Started in 2005, the festival has spent the last six years set in Leicester's De Montfort Hall and its surrounding four acre gardens. Over the Big Session weekend, acts from the roots and folk music worlds all perform their own full length sets. As well as artists performing in their own right there are lunchtime and impromptu sessions, a ceilidh, a children's area, and more throughout the weekend.

It would appear that Leicester's De Montfort Hall intends to replace the departing festival with an Oysterband gig. In today's Leicester Mercury, (here), it is revealed that De Montfort Hall are hoping to host their own version of the event, saying that De Montfort Hall are "Axing next year's three-day folk and blues Big Session festival and replacing it with a one-day event, in October, called Oysterband & Friends".

eFestivals will bring you news of the new dates and location for Big Session once we have them. The festival traditionally offers live music across three stages and open sessions, with a family friendly nature and staunch green ethos.

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