Originally set to play in 2020, 80’s icon RICK ASTLEY has been confirmed as the first headliner for the Music Showcase Weekend at York Racecourse, taking to the stage on Friday evening 23^rd July 2021.

Less than 24 hours later, McFLY a band known for their upbeat chart hits and energetic performances will be headlining following an afternoon of racing.

Rick Astley is enjoying a major career resurgence. He had already sold more than 40 million albums fueled by hits like the chart-topping Never Gonna Give You Up, Whenever You Need Somebody, Together Forever, When I Fall in Love, She Wants To Dance With Me and Cry For Help. 

In 2016 he returned with new music and released wholly self-penned platinum album ’50’ that has to date sold more than 400,000 copies. In 2018 he followed it up with another self-penned & produced top ten album, Beautiful Life, and in 2019 released a career spanning top 5 album ‘The Best of Me’, a best of compilation with eleven additional reimagined tracks and new single ‘Every One Of Us’.  2019 also saw Rick complete a gargantuan 38-date stadium tour as special guest to Take That, during which he played to over 500,000 people. Showing his mass appreciation across genres, he has also graced the main stage of the legendary Reading Festival, performing ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ with one of the worlds biggest rock bands, Foo Fighters. Just before the pandemic Rick toured Australia and New Zealand with a-ha, playing 8 sold out dates in arenas across the region.

Rick has been anything but quiet during the pandemic and has from his home studio amassed nearly 2 Million YouTube followers with a series of Lockdown Covers and become a major force on TikTok with 1.7 Million followers and selected as one of Louder’s top 10 must follow artists on the platform. He has also used this time to publicly support the NHS and organise free concerts for NHS staff during his UK Arena tour this October.

On early evening Saturday, McFLY will be performing hits from their number one albums such as the chart topping, ‘All About You’, ‘Obviously’ and ‘5 Colours In Her Hair’.

With seven UK number-one singles, six top-ten albums, six sell-out tours, four million tickets and ten million albums sold worldwide, McFLY are without question one of the most significant British pop acts of the twenty-first century. Since hitting the big time as the youngest band ever to have a debut album go straight to number one — beating The Beatles’ long-standing record — Tom, Danny, Dougie and Harry have become one of our best-loved bands, not to mention major stars in their own right.

In November 2019 McFLY played their most recent gig, ‘One Night Only’ at The O2 Arena, a sold out stand-alone show to mark their reformation and return to music, especially for their fans.

In 2020, McFLY released their highly anticipated new album 'Young Dumb Thrills', their first studio album in 10 years. With singles ‘Happiness’, ‘Tonight Is The Night’ and ‘You’re Not Special’ being played all over Radio 2 and the band performing on BGT, Graham Norton and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, as well as making their own documentary about their hiatus for ITV1 called ‘All About Us'.

The announcement of the combined racing and music event means that those booking now can take advantage of the early bird and group rate deals on general admission tickets. To book click here, admission to the main Grandstand and Paddock enclosure, starts at just £28 per person for a group of six* and racegoers aged 5-17 enjoy a special rate of just £10 (subject to limited availability). As well as free car parking, there are no booking fees.

On the racecourse itself, Friday evening will see Pattern race action in the European Breeder’s Fund Lyric Stakes, with The Sky Bet York Stakes as the six-figure centerpiece of a seven-race card on Saturday, that will precede the concert.

The dates in late July fall well after the scheduled “step 4 of the roadmap” so there is a positive approach to the occasion. However, given both the current circumstances and that operating details for large venues are still awaited from Government; racegoers are offered a guaranteed refund in the event of Covid related alterations, as well as the reassurance that all Covid-19 protocols that are applicable at the time of the event, will be followed.

James Brennan, Head of Marketing and Sponsorship said,

“Everyone at the course is really excited that these magical racing and music events are scheduled to return. With a northern boy set to play, then a band that bring a smile to many faces, add in the spectacle of the racing itself and we hope it will prove a summer weekend to savour.”

The tickets for Rick Astley and McFly are on sale, with music and racing fans alike being able to take advantage of some attractive deals by clicking here.