A rap and R&B festival set up to help give young performers exposure made its debut at the weekend.

Hundreds of people flocked to Gravesend Promenade to watch various Kent and London-based artists at GTown Fest on Saturday.

Organised by Gravesend-based agency GTown Talents, it was the first time it had staged such an event.

The free community festival aimed to champion the county’s talent and celebrate cultural diversity.

Founder of GTown Talents Jimmy Babalola said: “Great sets from local artists and headliners such as Devlin and Backroad Gee made for a fantastic event.

“We will continue to grow and get bigger. This is the first of what is hoped to be an annual festival.”

As well as live music, there were also community stalls, food vendors, a VIP area, bar and a music industry panel.

The GTown Fest was first announced in July as the not-for-profit’s latest project to help kickstart young people’s careers in music.

The intention was to give them exposure and to help encourage diversity in the industry.

Following Saturday, Jimmy said: “The local artists had great things to say as it helped further their development – this was the first time on a big stage for many of them.”

G-Town Talents is an award-winning charity dedicated to supporting young people by giving them a creative outlet through music and film.

The arts and music community organisation was recognised during the pandemic for breaking down barriers and raising awareness of taboo subjects.

G-Town Fest has since become their biggest project to date and was supported by funders: Kent Community Foundation, Creative Estuary, Overstone Trust, and Gravesham council.

“We are very grateful for everyone who helped us and the contractors and food vendors who believed in us,” said Jimmy.

“We will carry on building and finding ways to keep the youth happy with urban music.”