Festive feast of music in store for fayre shoppers

Buy photos » Hitchhiker will be among the bands performing at this weekend's Victorian Christmas Fayre. (s)

A FESTIVE feast of local bands and artists will keep visitors to this weekend's Victorian Christmas Fayre entertained as an early drum roll for next year's Worcester Music Festival.

The talented line-up from across the county are gearing up to perform unplugged in Cathedral Plaza shopping centre from 2pm to 6pm tomorrow (Saturday).

They will be offering festive shoppers a taste of what's to come at next August's explosive festival of live music in Worcester.

Saturday's confirmed acts include melodic rock trio Hitchhiker, upbeat pop band Done By Sunrise and indie outfit Umphff, as well as up-and-coming, young singer-songwriters Jake Chandler, James Gwynne and Abbi Smith.

Meanwhile, festival organisers have confirmed the summer event will revert to its traditional three-day format and will take place from Friday, August 30 to Sunday, September 1.

It will be the first year it has run fully independently of the Worcester Festival.

Committee chairman Ant Robbins said the completely free festival was now well established and the main focus for its sixth outing next summer was bringing more diversity to the mix.

The top 25 entries in the festival's 2012 photography competition will be on display at The Hive library until Wednesday, December 12.

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