SINGER-SONGWRITER Jack Savoretti is the first artist to announce dates as part of Forest Live 2023, appearing at Delamere Forest in Cheshire on Saturday, June 17.

The festival, which uses live music to introduce forests and green spaces to new audiences across the country, will be returning with the Anglo-Italian musician the first to confirm his attendance. It will be his first performance at the event since 2019.

Since his initial breakthrough with BBC Radio 2 airplay in 2006, a succession of crafted albums has seen him build an impressive career. ‘Written in Scars’ (2014) and ‘Sleep No More’ (2016) confirmed his growing popularity with gold-selling status and these were superseded by No 1 albums ‘Singing To Strangers’ (2019) and ‘Europiana’ (2021) which spawned ‘Europiana Encore’, a special extended edition released this year.

A number of his songs have also featured in TV and film such as ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and ‘One Tree Hill’.

Commenting on the dates Jack said: "I love performing at these wonderful woodland locations, they are like no other live arenas. I look forward to sharing all the new music we have been releasing with you in these incredible settings."

More than two million people have attended a Forest Live gig in the last 22 years, enjoying great music and supporting the nation’s forests when buying a ticket.

Going to a concert helps Forestry England create beautiful places for people to enjoy, run important conservation projects and keep growing trees. Last year they planted some 6.8 million trees, caring for the nation’s 1,500 woods and forests sustainably and welcoming 363 million visits annually.

Jack Savoretti plus Guests

Saturday, June 10: Westonbirt Arboretum, near Tetbury, Glos.

Sunday, June 11: Cannock Chase Forest, near Rugeley, Staffs.

Saturday, June 17: Delamere Forest

Sunday, June 18: Thetford Forest, near Brandon, Suffolk.

Tickets on sale from 9am Friday, October 21, at www.forestryengland.uk/music.