START ME UP! Christmas Show

Lana Lanigan headlines the START ME UP! Christmas Show in Worthing on Saturday 19 December. She's a 13-year-old singer-songwriter from Chichester, and she'll be playing a mix of her own original songs and covers on acoustic guitar.

Lanigan has been a regular at START ME UP!, the open-mic venue in Southgate run by Chris Simmons. She credits the sessions with growing her confidence and shaping her musical journey, and this show is the next step. It's part of Simmons' START ME UP! Young Opener Initiative, which reaches out to artists, promoters and venues across Sussex to give under-18s a 20-minute opening set at bigger venues before the main act. This time, though, she's the main act herself.

Simmons is a well-known name in the local scene, and his work extends beyond the open-mic night; he's worked with the likes of Paloma Faith, Passenger and Tom Jones. The Young Opener Initiative is his way of getting younger performers onto proper stages, and this Christmas show is one of the results. Lanigan's set will be acoustic, with her own songs and a few covers, so it's a straightforward night of live music.

It's in Worthing on Saturday 19 December, so if you're around that weekend and fancy a night of acoustic music, you've got the date.