A Dulwich musician is hosting a blues festival at Indigo at The O2 in memory of his parents, who died from dementia within months of each other.
Adam Norsworthy, founder of the annual British blues festival MilkFest, is using his personal loss to raise vital funds for Dementia UK, with the event returning for its second year on Sunday 1 March 2026.
Adam’s mum, Mary, was a former folk signer who was diagnosed with stomach cancer in the early 2000s. She was later diagnosed with dementia and was bed-ridden for many years.
At the same time, Adam’s fathers health started to decline. Rick, a former Reuters war reporter, was wheelchair bound and was also diagnosed with dementia.
Adam said: “It was a very tough time. I was self-employed so had to work, teaching seven days a week. Plus, I was caring for mum and dad, constantly round there to cook, clean, keep them company, as well as helping to take care of my two kids.
“I was being pulled from pilar to post, and it had a huge effect on my weight, health and mood”
His dad sadly died in December 2019 and his mum died just four months later in April 2020.
Adam started MilkFest in 2025 after one of his close friends died from brain cancer. He was given the opportunity to rent Indigo at the O2 at a reduced rate. The first festival in 2025 raised monet for The Brain Tumour Charity in his friends memory.
This year’s MilkFest will be in memory of his parents and a portion of all proceeds from MilkFest will go to Dementia UK.
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The money will be used to help the charity grow the number of Admiral nurses who are specialist dementia nurses.
Adam said: “If we had the support of an Admiral Nurse, it could have helped us hugely with the psychological effects of caring. I want to help others to ensure they don’t face dementia alone.”
Indigo at the O2 is a smaller live music venue inside the O2 Arena complex, with capacity for 2,700 people.
Date: Sunday 1 March 2026
Time: 2pm
Location: Indigo at The O2, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0DX (nearest station is North Greenwich)
Tickets: Tickets start at £54 on the O2 website. Book here: https://www.theo2.co.uk/events/detail/milkfest-25
