IN A celebration of 1970s music, the “Summer Soul” event at Rhyl Events Arena on July 30 saw attendees dancing and singing in the rain to the best of Motown, and northern soul.

Organised jointly by Denbighshire Leisure Ltd (DLL) and Rhyl Town Council, this free event left a lasting impression on music enthusiasts, who embraced the spirit of soul despite the heavy rain.

Rhyl Events Arena was transformed by the Pavilion Theatre’s technical team into a festival ground, where attendees were taken on a journey back in time to relive one of the golden eras of music.

Rhyl Journal: Attendees braved the heavy rain to enjoy the free event!Attendees braved the heavy rain to enjoy the free event! (Image: DLL)

“Northern Soul Live”, featuring The Signatures, Stefan Taylor and Lorraine Silver kicked the afternoon off with renditions of classics from the genre, as their soulful vocals and backing music had the crowd dancing and singing along.

A Motown tribute was performed by Jackie Marie, who was then followed by the crowd-pleasing Edwin Starr band featuring Angelo Starr.

There was a captivating performance by Heatwave, who belted out timeless classics including “Boogie Nights” amid the heavy rainfall, and brought the afternoon to a perfect close.

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Rhyl Journal: Heatwave perform at Rhyl Events ArenaHeatwave perform at Rhyl Events Arena (Image: Denbighshire Leisure Ltd)

Jamie Groves, managing director of DLL, said: "It was great to see so many people coming along to the event despite the weather.

“Everyone enjoyed dancing and singing in the rain - thoroughly embracing the true spirit of ‘Summer Soul’.

“We are grateful to the artists, volunteers, our event team, and all the event-goers, who made this day a memorable one despite the challenging weather conditions.

“We are extremely grateful to Rhyl Town Council for their continued commitment and support for the Rhyl events programme; without them, the events would not be possible.”

Rhyl Journal: The event was organised and run by DLL, as well as Rhyl Town CouncilThe event was organised and run by DLL, as well as Rhyl Town Council (Image: Denbighshire Leisure Ltd)

Rhyl mayor, Cllr Jacquie McAlpine, said: “We’re thrilled with the response and turnout, despite the bad weather.

“The atmosphere was electric and it was lovely to see so many families enjoying themselves at this event.

“We are proud to work with DLL on such a great event and we cannot wait for the next one.”