MUSIC will fill the streets at the 14th Banbury Folk Festival.

Town mayor Nicholas Turner will open the weekend-long event at the Mill on Friday, October 11, at 6.45pm, before the first concert at Banbury Town Hall.

Dozens of acts will perform at a host of venues across the town including The Mill Arts Centre, Spiceball Park and the town hall.

The opening night line-up includes internationally known shanty group Kimber’s Men, The Young ’Uns, a group of lads from Teeside, as well as female singers Lynne Heraud and Pat Turner.

Other bands signed up to perform during the weekend include international Celtic band Jamie Smith’s Mabon, Meet On The Ledge, Red Shoes, The Jigantics, Fifteen String Trio, The Tindalls, FolkLaw and The Linda Watkins Band.

As well as music there will be activities such as an arts and crafts fair at the town hall, in Bridge Street, on Saturday, and song and music sessions, folk clubs, workshops, Blues Café sessions, morris dancing and singing boat trips.

Two local girls will also be performing at the Emerging Young Performers Concert on Saturday at the Mill. They are Holly Perkins and Erin ‘Tiger’ Lilley, 13, who live in Bloxham.

Organiser Derek Droscher said: “We have a range of events to cater for all tastes, with a wide variety of artists taking part in the concerts – some festival favourites, but also some you may not have seen and heard before.

“We have a policy of including local artists and performers who are new to the folk scene, including young up and coming acts.”

He added: “People come to the festival from all over the country.

“They really enjoy visiting Banbury and come not just to see the performers but also because they like the friendly feel of the festival.”

Tickets, which cost from £18, are available at The Mill Arts Centre, or via the festival website banburyfolkfestival.co.uk