Twenty all women bands play at three-day music event

The Unglamorous music project teaches women - even if they had no previous experience - to play instruments and form bands

Twenty bands of all-female players are performing at an International Women's Day three-day event in Leicester.

The weekender has been organised by the Unglamorous music project, which teaches women to play instruments.

It is the third year the project has held an International Women's Day event, but this will be the biggest.

Alison Dunne, one of the organisers, said it would be emotional as it was the first one without project founder Ruth Miller, who died in October.

The Verinos, a band Ruth Miller was in, are coming back with special guests to perform songs in tribute to her

Ms Dunne, who has been a vocalist in a punk band called the Boilers since January 2023, said a team of five or six people were now steering the project.

Performances this weekend will take place at a different venue each day - Firebug on Friday, The Donkey on Saturday and Attenborough Arts Centre on Sunday.

Last year it was held on one day with 16 bands.

The aim of Unglamorous is to get older women playing gigs, and it has a challenge called 66 Days to your Debut.

Ms Dunne said: "If you go to an Unglamorous night, you know you are there because there is such a supportive and woman-friendly atmosphere, and loads of women in the audience having a great time.

"This project for all these women in Leicester is such a powerful thing."

Ruth Miller, who died from breast cancer in October, founded the Unglamorous music project

She said they had mixed feelings about the weekend as it was the first event and first International Women's Day without Ms Miller, and first big three-day event.

"We are excited but at the same time feel that somebody really important is not there," she said.

Ms Dunne, 59, who also plays drums and a bit of guitar, added: "Everything we're doing this weekend is in memory of Ruth, and with love for Ruth.

"She was such an incredible person and she started off this whole project which now includes 80-odd women - probably more than that."