A POPULAR festival is returning to Worcester for its 20-year anniversary next month.

The Worcester Festival runs over three weekends in August, always ending on the August Bank Holiday Monday.

Since the first Worcester Festival back in 2003, the Festival has grown in terms of the number of events, the number of venues involved and attendees.

This year, there will be over 700 events to choose from across the city of Worcester.

Businesses involved in the festival across the city will be offering discounted rates and individual events to attend.

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The festival will feature free live music in Worcester City Centre, with a stage based at the back of Huntington Hall in Crowngate Shopping Centre.

There will also be a variety of competitions, including the Percy Colouring Competition, Worcester Festival Wildlife Photography Competition and the Make Your Own Festival Bunting Competition.

A full programme has been put together by the organisers of the Worcester Festival, which features information regarding all of the events.

Chris Jaeger, director of the festival, thanked everyone involved in the festival in a message published in the festival programme.

He said: "We are indebted to all the organisations who have supported us by entering events and partnering us with some of ours.

"And a big thank-you to our sponsors, volunteers and everybody who helps make the Worcester Festival a real ‘people’s festival’.

"I hope to see many of you at an event. Come and say hello."

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Many of the events at this year's festival will be free to attend, but some will still require payment or a booking confirmation.

For events that require pre-booking or payment, you can visit the Worcester Festival website for the link to purchase tickets.

Tickets may also be available at the door of the venues.

The festival will also have many of the events fitted with disability access, but organisers are advising attendees to contact the event organiser or location to check accessibility information before an event.

This year’s festival runs from Saturday, August 13 to Monday, August 29. Keep up to date with the build-up to this year’s Worcester Festival at worcesterfestival.co.uk