Blues and Wine Festival set to launch in Georgia’s Lagodekhi national park

One of Georgia’s most spectacular natural parks will host award-winning international musical artists for the maiden edition of the country’s Blues and Wine Festival this Summer.

From June 9-September 3 the festival will host music enthusiasts in Lagodekhi Protected Areas, promoted by the Agency of Protected Areas as "one of the world’s best-preserved” natural reserves.

The event will aim to promote the picturesque location of the Kakheti region, located on Georgia’s north-eastern border.

See emerging British blues artist Ben Poole perform in Dortmund, Germany in 2015 below:

Organisers of the founding edition of the festival will invite visitors to see performances by artists from 10 countries including British Blues Awards-nominated guitarist Ben Poole and American blues-rock artist Eric Sardinas.

The open-air festival will also play host to Grammy Awards-listed guitarist JC Smith and British blues and folk musician Chris Jagger, brother of Rolling Stones co-founder Mick Jagger.

The 13 shows of the event will close with a final concert advertised as a "secret surprise” by founder Koka Tskitishvili.

American guitarist JC Smith will be part of the festival line-up. Photo: Keri Solorio/JC Smith Band.

Tskitishvili founded the festival with his band Koka and T. Blues Mob formed in 1998. The group has performed in Europe and hold frequent shows in Tbilisi.

The Blues and Wine Festival is co-founded by the Blues Village company and aims to promote the musical genre in Georgia.

Designed to also promote tourism in the Lagodekhi area and Kakheti region, the event is supported by the National Tourism Administration and the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia.

Beside its program of performances the festival will also include master classes for emerging blues artists.