A NEW MUSIC festival is coming to a Flintshire town this summer, in memory of a talented singer.

Alastair Thomas died of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) on October 2, 2018.

Known as Ali, he was a singer and musician from Flint who had two young children and died of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) aged 35, having previously been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in his early twenties.

Ali, who was a pupil at St Richard Gwyn in Flint, had followed his dream of becoming a musician after completing his studies.

The local rock star travelled across the UK to perform at various events as a soloist and as a duo in ‘The Statements’ and a group called ‘Universal Exports’.

Now, in tribute to his musical abilities and his life in general, a new music festival is set to launch in Mold this summer.

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AliFest 2024 will be all about great music and raising awareness of the symptoms and complications of Type 1 Diabetes.

Funds from the festival will go to Diabetes UK Cymru to aid their work in supporting people living with diabetes and fighting for a cure.

Rhydymwyn Football Club in Mold will be holding the event this year on Saturday, July 6 where the public will get the chance to see some of the best local musicians North Wales has to offer.

The team has attracted a plethora of amazing local talent to join them at the special event including; Monkey Wrench, Muddy Elephant, Royle Breach, Adele Crimes, The New Kid, Wax Lyrical, Sphelm, Smithson and Rkid and many more.

Tickets are on sale now via Skiddle and selling fast so act now to make sure you don’t miss out. Adults can attend for £14, children aged 5-15 £6 and under 5’s are free!

This event will cater for all ages with children getting the chance to meet their favourite Marvel & Cosplay characters including an amazing life size Optimus Prime. There will also be a wide array of local craft stalls, face painting, a bouncy castle, food vendors and a fully licensed bar.

Remembering Ali, Mum Dee, said: “Ali was very inspirational and had an amazing voice. He was a big character, who was very funny, very kind and made people feel happy. I was touched by all the people who cared so deeply about him in his memorial. I was by his side in his last days and struggled with my grief to accept the loss of my child.

“My husband Paul and I wanted to do something special this year in Ali’s memory and what better way to honour him than putting on a festival in his name – something he would have absolutely loved.

“We’d love to see local families come along and share the day with us to enjoy some incredible local music, entertain the children, eat some great food and raise vital funds for a really important cause.”