Punch Record’s British Arts and Street Sounds BASS Festival returns this June for a record-breaking eighth year, backed by their new citywide 'popup' radio station, BASS FM!

BASS Festival, which runs from the 11th- 30th of June this year, is one of Birmingham's most popular independent festivals; it runs for 20 days and consists of 20 events taking place across iconic venues in the city’s region. The festival celebrates the best that the city has to offer in independent theatre, dance, spoken word and music. This extensive events programme is expected to attract around 12,000 people to venues across the city. 

The theme of this year’s BASS Festival is 'Soul' and will feature the Birmingham debut of Philly Neo-Soul sensation Bilal, as well as powerful performances from Terri Walker, Ms D, Shakka (who has previously collaborated with Wretch 32) and KOF. Keeping to its local roots, the festival will also be premièring Punch's first collaboration with the Aston Performing Arts Academy’s "Soul II Soultrain", as well as singer Monique’s springboard into her UK tour.

Despite the festival’s growing mainstream popularity, BASS (British Arts and Street Sounds) remains a feature of Birmingham's vibrant emerging underground of Black and Urban music. Punch’s BASS

Festival is still the UK’s only month-long, annual celebration of urban creativity and culture, and the only Black music and arts festival that commissions new work every year.

In addition to Punch’s festival success, they are also celebrating being the first independent festival to attain a UK RSL radio licence from Ofcom. They plan to launch their new radio station, BASS FM in the run up to BASS festival’s launch on the 2nd June on 87.7FM, daily throughout the month. The station will be staffed and run by young volunteers, all recruited at a ‘broadcasting

bootcamp'  held at the Birmingham Ormiston Academy (BOA) in April. Talented hopefuls are currently receiving training from industry professionals, including BBC’s Janine

Kempadoo and Ryan Newman and Choice FM’s Jade Avia, before taking to the airwaves for the first time.