THERE is just under two weeks to go before the biggest event of the summer comes to Redditch.

This year’s Morton Stanley Festival is on Saturday and Sunday, August 19 and 20 and is promising to be bigger and better than ever.

Acts performing at the free festival include Manchester reggae sensation Jeremiah Ferrari who is joined on the main stage by headliners Big Wolf Band, from Birmingham, and Bewdley’s psychedelic Arcadia Roots.

The Zoe Green Band, Pig-Man and the Rubber Band, and the Emma Jonson Quartet complete the headline acts at the festival that will also feature 37 local acts across two days and two stages.

Musical acts will perform in the Melody Field alongside festival tents, a licenced bar, children’s activities, inflatables, circus skills, face painting and craft stalls.

Morton’s Field will be home to a featured DJ tent by sponsors Locked In Radio which will provide modern along with old school classics, providing the perfect background music for go karts, army and police displays, golf, archery and other games tents.

On top of this, Redditch’s 95-acre Morton Stanley Park will host an acoustic tent, funfair, classic car display, firework display (9.30pm on Saturday) and a mini food festival with stalls offering cuisine from around the world.

Councillor Pat Witherspoon, whose portfolio covers leisure services, said: “Hosting a mini food festival is fast becoming a key part of the Morton Stanley Festival fun since it was first launched two years ago. Visitors get the chance to sample new and exciting foods as well as some familiar festival favourites.”

The mini food festival will include Jo’s Coffee, The Hog Roast Redditch Co, The Poetry of Curry, Mexibros, and Arden Pig Roast with a more traditional hog roast, burgers and sausages.

On Saturday, August 19 the event will run from 12.30pm until 11pm and on Sunday it will run from 1pm until 7pm.

There is a bar on site. Glass bottles and containers are not permitted and will be confiscated.

Extra details about the event, conditions of entry, disabled access and parking are available on redditchbc.gov.uk/MSF.