Toploader to perform at SMiLE festival 2024 at AFC Sudbury

SMiLE festival will take place on July 20 at AFC Sudbury and will raise money for The Smile of Arran Trust, which was launched in 2014 after 13-year-old Arran Tosh was diagnosed with a brain tumour and died just five days later.

Tickets went on sale on Friday evening and it was announced that rock superstars Toploader will be one of the acts to take the stage in the summer. 

Arran Tosh with his parents Stephen and Alison and sisters Chloe and Abbie (Image: Tosh family)

The Eastbourne-born trio, who formed in the late 1990s, have hits including Dancing in the Moonlight and Achilles Heel and have supported the likes of Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher and Robbie Williams. 

Toploader have been announced as the first act for SMiLE festival in Sudbury (Image: PA)

This year will be the 10-year anniversary of Arran's death, and so his family who organise the SMiLE festival have decided to make it the last event.

Arran's sister Abbie Tosh, one of the organisers, said: "We are hoping that people will come and celebrate Arran's life with us while enjoying some great music." 

Arran and sister Abbie (Image: Tosh family)

Arran Tosh died aged 13 on June 7, 2014, just five days after a visit to the optician led to a brain tumour diagnosis. 

The first SMiLE festival took place just over a month later on July 22, 2017, and since then headliners have included Little Mammoths, The Hoosiers and The Proclaimers. 

The Smile of Arran Trust supports children and families affected by brain tumours through dedicated 'Arran Grants' in partnership with CLIC Sargent.

Arran Tosh died aged 13 on June 7, 2014 (Image: Tosh Family)

It also supports music therapy through Addenbrookes' Charitable Trust and Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.

The final SMiLE festival event will take place on July 20, 2024 at AFC Sudbury.