A TOWN centre pub is hosting an all-day outdoor music festival this summer.

The Golden Cross in Hewell Road will hold the annual charity event Crossfest on September 2, bringing bands from across the UK together for a day of music and raising cash for Cancer Research UK.

It will bring to an end a season of gigs and events at the Golden Cross and will be headlined by local heroes Keiko, who will not be performing in Redditch again this year, and festival veterans Midget. An acoustic stage for bands and solo singers, which will be filmed by local film company Never Wait Films, will also feature.

The festival started in 2004 when Golden Cross proprietors Paul Thomas and Sue Sumner, and local promoter Chris Deighton came up with the idea of an outdoor music festival in the town.

Following a break last year, the 2006 event will run with the help of Golden Cross entertainments manager David Edwards.

He said: "I actually played at the first Crossfest so I understand how important it is to have an event like this in Redditch because it's something that people still talk about with great fondness.

"This time we're using the opportunity to raise a lot of money for a cause that has touched everyone's life in some way. We want to assist in the quest for a cure by doing what we love doing which is putting on and enjoying live music."

There will also be a selection of Crossfest merchandise on sale, as well as band merchandise and all sales will go to Cancer Research UK. For more details, visit the website www.myspace.com/crossfest2006

To book tickets, which will not be available on the day, call 63711 or drop in at the Golden Cross.