FROM bodhrans to banjos, instruments of every shape and size will used to make music this weekend.

The Worcester Music Festival, just one of many smaller festivals under the umbrella of the main Worcester Festival, runs from today until Sunday and features more than 200 bands and musicians playing in 27 different venues.

It starts at 7pm with an official launch show at the Marr’s Bar in Pierpoint Street. Seven acts, including Worcester-based band Naked Remedy and singer-songwriter Carrie Hayden, will play live, while festival organisers and volunteers get ready for a hectic weekend of gigs.

Nearly all events – excluding workshops and a handful of shows – are free of charge, but festival-goers are being urged to support local charities. There will be raffle tickets and collection buckets at all venues throughout the weekend and the money raised will be split between Worcester Wheels and Worcester Snoezelen.

Gig-goers are also being encouraged to take part in the music festival’s photography competition.

“Whether you have a camera phone, a pocket camera or professional equipment all you have to do is turn up at one of the events and take some photos,” said Helen King, one of the festival organisers.

“Then you upload your images to our Flickr website and wait and see what the judges think. This isn’t just a competition. It’s a like a huge photo diary of the festival.”

Your Worcester News will be judging this year’s competition. The winning photographer will receive a framed print of their shot and a meal for two at the Glasshouse restaurant.

Deadline for entries is Sunday, August 29. To upload go to flickr.com and login using these details: Yahoo ID: wmfphotocomp@yahoo.com. Password: wmf2010.

As well as gigs, there are some more unusual events taking place. From 10am to 3.30pm tomorrow, there will be a ukulele workshop at the Elgar School of Music and an open mic session at Boston Tea Party in Broad Street at 8pm. For information see worcester musicfestival.co.uk