AN annual festival in Bewdley will return to showcase local, national and international talent later this year.

This year's Bewdley Festival features a range of music, comedy and conservation events to delight audiences, taking place over two weeks.

The opening event will take place on Friday, October 11 at the Festival Theatre at the Mercure Bewdley Heath Hotel, starting proceedings with a performance from folk legend Martin Carthy and his daughter Eliza Carthy.

The festival will see a host of famous faces at events, from comedians to broadcasters, including an audience with comedian Jon Culshaw and comedy writer Bill Dare, a night with Birmingham poet Benjamin Zephaniah, as well as an evening with naturalist Kate Humble.

Long-running broadcaster Adrian Chiles will also be appearing at the festival, telling stories of his career and answering questions from an audience.

Presenters Bob Harris and Danny Baker will also host a conversation evening, talking about everything from music to the meaning of life.

Music events include the Horne Section, a group who have sold-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and London’s West End, bluesy Tex-Mex group Los Pacaminos, featuring pop star Paul Young, Birmingham-based singer Pete Williams, famous for his Dexys Midnight Runners days, and London Americana band Orphan Colours.

There will also be day time events at the festival, including a talk with leading puppeteer Brian Herring, who has worked on Spitting Image and created BB-8, the newest droid both blockbuster sci-fi films Star Wars The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, as well as Mark Richards, creator of the memorial sculpture of Led Zeppelin's John Bonham.

Tickets for the festival events are available from Saturday May, 18 via bewdleyfestival.org.uk or from the Festival Office in St George's Hall, open from 10am until 2pm.