THOUSANDS of music lovers descended on a high street for a musical extravaganza.

Holywell hosted the first-ever Well Inn music festival with scores of main stage performances in the town centre with traders reporting a bumper day.

Folk, indie and pop, classical, world music and jazz musicians wowed crowds during the free day-long festival which attracted visitors from across the region.

Event organiser Shelly Barratt said: “I was told Holywell High Street hasn’t been that busy for 30 years. We had about 5,000 people come down for the festival.

“A lot of the businesses were busy all day. The atmosphere was great, we had families, young people and older people.”

Acts who performed included The Keys, The Suns and Broken 3 Ways.

Holywell Brass Band and the Kilt Wearing Cambrian Welsh Band performed while a drum and percussion workshop was run by Rapataka, a West African drumming band.

Trader Stephen Hughes, of Peter Hughes Footwear and chair of Holywell Town Partnership, said: “It was a tremendous day. I do not think in the many years I have been here I have seen the town that busy for that long. It can only be a good thing for traders. The cafes and pubs were packed.

“It shows Holywell in a positive light and raised the profile of the town.”

Money to bring the artists has come directly from local businesses in the High Street along with funding from the Rural Development Agency.

Former mayor Peter Curtis paid for Hell and the Taid to perform at the festival.

It is now hoped the event can be held again next year with a fundraiser to pay for the event.