Café René, the popular pub and restaurant in Gloucester city centre, is gearing up for the annual Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival, which runs from Saturday 21st July through to Sunday 29th July.

The pub and restaurant, situated on Southgate Street in the city centre, will host 20 bands over the week-long celebration of blues music. “This will be our sixteenth blues festival. We’ve got 20 bands booked to perform over the week which is really exciting”, said Jojo Roche, who works at Café René. “It’s great for the city of Gloucester to host such a long-running and successful music festival. It’s a superb event, there are so many talented musicians who put on such a show. The atmosphere is incredible, everyone comes to have a good time and enjoy the music.”

Blues band ‘Worried Men’ kick-off proceedings at Café René on Monday 23rd July. Every night a band will be playing at the pub, with the weekend action starting at 2pm. Jojo continued: “From Monday to Thursday we have a band in the pub each night, starting at 9.30pm. We have two bands playing on the Friday evening, starting at 7.30pm. Then on the Saturday and Sunday the bands will be getting underway at 2pm. This year the Saturday is very up-tempo while on Sunday we’ve got a number of acts who perform a more rocking blues style. The groups that we’re hosting are a fantastic mix of local, national and international artists. The blues festival is always one of the best weeks of the year, we’re so excited and can’t wait to hear what our customers think of all the great artists that will be performing.”

Entry to the festival is free of charge, but Café René will be asking their customers to dip into their pockets and donate what they can for a Gloucester charity that cares for severely ill children. Jojo explained: “This year we’re raising money for the James Hopkins Trust, a charity that provides care for babies and children up to the age of five who have a life limiting or life-threatening condition. The festival is free of charge, there’s no tickets to buy, so all we ask is people to donate what they can. Any donation, no matter how small, goes towards an amazing local charity that needs all the support it can get.”

Café René is one of the most popular music venues in the city of Gloucester. The building enjoys superb acoustics and is supported by a loyal band of customers who enjoy the regular live music sessions. Jojo continued: “We host live music throughout the year and we’re very lucky to have welcomed so many great performers over the years. The bands and artists always say they’re made to feel very welcome here, which is good to hear. We make a big effort to look after whoever is performing, that’s probably why we get so many acts who return here.”