Cribs and Blur stars bring a bit of stardust to Wakefield’s Festival of the Moon

The event is a two-week celebration of art, music and science to mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon.

It will be centred largely on the former Market Hall on Union Street, which is being reinvented as an arts hub.

The Blur and Cribs drummers will play DJ sets at the Market Hall on Saturday, August 24.

Mr Rowntree, who was involved in the Beagle 2 mission to Mars, told the Express he was still working out what space-age anthems would make up his set.

He said: “Bowie’s Space Oddity comes to mind first, but can you dance to it? It might clear the floor.”

He will give a talk on his experiences on the Mars exploration mission earlier in the day.

And with a mixture of sampling and live performance, Public Service Broadcasting will play their space adventure-themed album The Race For Space in its entirety on Friday, September 6.

Mutli-instrumentalist J Willgoose, Esq said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be able to take The Race For Space to Wakefield this year as part of the Museum of the Moon.

“It should be a great night and a fitting celebration for the 50th anniversary year of the Apollo 11 moon landings – hope to see you there.”

A giant, seven metre-wide, illuminated scale replica of the Moon will land at the Market Hall at the centre of the celebration and Helen Sharman – Britain’s first astronaut – will tell her story.

Coun Jacquie Speight, cabinet member for culture, leisure and sports at Wakefield Council, said: “That we will be hosting our first festival in and around the former Market Hall is exciting enough, but adding such high-profile visitors as Public Service Broadcasting, Dave Rowntree and Ross Jarman to the line-up of events certainly adds to the sense of anticipation.”

The mostly free events will kick off on Friday, August 23.