Portsmouth musicians teaming up for digital festival in support of the NHS

On Sunday, May 3, Don’t Stress the NHS Fest will be taking place virtually from 10am until late into the night.

More than 20 acts from the city and surrounding area are set to perform throughout the day with money raised for NHS Charities Together.

The festival is the brainchild of Portsmouth-born DJ Ethan Owen.

DJ Lemon, Chris Vaux and music promoter Nick Courtney are supporting the event.

Ethan said the aim is to give people something to smile about while supporting healthcare heroes working on the front line.

‘These are really difficult times for people at the moment,’ the 28-year-old said.

‘It would be nice to give them something to look forward to, especially given how so many upcoming gigs and festivals have been cancelled.

‘This will give people a whole day of great live music and will raise some much-needed funds to help out our incredible NHS heroes.’

The artists will all livestream their performances from the Don't Stress the NHS Fest page on Facebook, with set times all lined up for the big day.

With a yoga class, Mini Ravers and a karaoke session, Ethan hopes there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

He said: ‘We wanted to keep the event very family friendly with lots for children to do.

‘The adults are locked in with their kids so I thought it would be nice to give them the chance to sit down with a cup of tea.

‘As the day goes on we’ll move towards acoustic artists, with DJs starting their sets later on.’

While Ethan’s DJ background has given him connections in Portsmouth's music industry, he said without support it would not be taking place.

‘Everyone working for the NHS is an absolute hero in my eyes,' he added.

‘They’ve got so many people backing them and I wanted us to do our bit to help out.’

NHS Charities Together supports NHS staff across the UK.

To tune into Don’t Stress the NHS Fest, like their Facebook page.

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