Popular music festival returns

Thousands of people filled the streets of Hertford on Sunday as the annual Musical Mystery Tour returned after a two year hiatus caused by the pandemic.

Bars and venues were full to capacity across the town as revellers enjoyed over 200 performances by more than 160 acts, ranging from solo artists to brass bands, rock, soul and funk outfits. 

A total of 35 venues took part in the event, which is organised by Hertford Music Festival and supported by local sponsors, including the Rivertown brewery, Hertford Planning Service, Duffield Harrison solicitors and GoGetters food delivery service.

Parliament Square, Salisbury Square and Fore Street saw huge crowds enjoying the fine weather and music in the town centre, whilst further afield musicains perfomed in local pubs and even at Hertford North station.

A team of volunteers from Hertford Green Party were out on litter-picking duties, included county councillor Ben Crystal and town councillor Vicky Smith.

Other sponsors include JD Audio Visual, The Hertford Club, Giggear, Apollo Audio, HD Print, Cinnabar and Couvre Feu fire consulting.

People have been posting their enjoyment of the event on social media.

It was my first time & definitely won’t be my last- brilliantly put together- amazing atmosphere & special thanks to all the amazing bar staff, rubbish collectors, police & everyone who all worked so bloody hard!

Thank you. It was amazing. I have never seen Hertford so full - billions of people thronging the streets and every venue packed. All the acts we saw were wonderful

It is an amazing event. Such a lovely thing for Hertford. A massive feat of organisation. Really well done to the team! Awesome

It was a brilliant day .. I've been every time and; always a good day with good vibes

It was so lovely to see new bands, friends in other bands and the town was busy! My feet are killing me for being on them all day and I have a very happy heart - thank you to all for what a great MMT it was after so long

Was my third MMT and easily the best so far. Definitely worth the drive up from Cornwall - hope to do it again next year. Many thanks to all the MMT team

Acts playing during the day included The Real McKoys, Lip Service Brass Band, Immi Davis and Ed Tattersall.

Up-and-coming band The Darlings played the Hertford Hertford Lounge, whilst Superbird appeared at The Jungle Bar.

As well as the town centre, there were also performances at The Saracens Head in Ware Road, The Great Eastern Tavern in Railway Place, The White Lion and The Millstream in Bengeo, as well as the Bengeo Club and Mind The Gap at Hertford North station.

The Musical Mystery Tour started in 2006 with just a few acts and venues and has grown in tom an event that attracts thousands in to the town and gives some businesses their biggest daily takings of the year.

Restaurants, cafes and businesses not offically part of the event also benefit from the festival.

Festival chairman Rob Guinn said: "This year has been phenomenal - and that's all due to the incredible effort put in the Hertford Music Festival team, the artists, engineers, venues and mainly all those thousands of people, Hertford residents and visitors alike, who were so amazingly well-behaved."

Co-chair Kev Saundsers said: "We're all pretty sure this was the biggest and best yet. There were queues outside many venues at various times – and even our biggest and newest, McMullen’s Brewery Yard (home, of course, to Rivertown Brewing our headline sponsor) had to close the gates for a while."

Green Party county councillor Ben Crystall thanked everybody involved on Twitter.