THE programme for this year's Worcester Festival has been officially launched and promises to be the biggest and best yet - featuring a staggering 299 events.

The festival, which won a prestigious award last year, was first launched in 2003, and has gone from strength to strength, with the number of events happening across the city doubling this year, including dragon boat racing and graffiti workshops.

Chris Jaeger, director of Huntingdon Arts, which has organised the festival, launched the new programme of events at the city's Swan Theatre last night.

"The sheer diversity and number of events on offer this year is really impressive," he said.

"The people of Worcestershire have really come together to create a festival that is truly a people's festival.

"We have a great selection of amateur and professional drama and dance performances and workshops, various art and literature events, religious concerts and recitals, as well as more than 70 events specially for children.

"There really is something for everyone."

This year's festival, which runs from Saturday, August 6 until Monday, August 29, incorporates the Three Choirs Fringe Festival, which features a host of classical, operatic and jazz music.

The Worcester Festival programme will be delivered to 100,000 homes inside the Berrows Journal, the Worcester News sister paper, on Friday, June 24.

Anyone else wishing to obtain a copy should call Huntingdon Arts box office on 01905 611427.