MUSIC, Comedy and the outdoor life take centre stage as the first shows go on sale for this year's Ludlow Arts Festival, which runs from June 28 to July 6, following the Ludlow Shakespeare Festival's As You Like It from June 14 to 22.

Both festivals will be held in the grounds of Ludlow Castle with the 800-seater Big Top Theatre returning to host ten of this year's 12 shows.

The festival will showcase the best of British music, with five-times winners of ‘Best Live Band’ at the Radio 2 Folk Music Awards, Bellowhead, a blistering 11-piece band fusing folk, funk, rock, world, jazz, music hall and classical music, on Saturday, July 5.

Kicking off a week of diverse and exciting shows on Saturday, June 28 are comedy-cabaret legends Fascinating Aida returning to Ludlow after last year's sell-out show with their brand-new show, Charm Offensive.

He has travelled the world and survived some of its harshest environments, and this summer Ray Mears brings An Evening with Ray Mears - The Outdoor Life to Ludlow on Tuesday 1 July to share stories from his many years surviving the wilderness and its colourful wildlife.

Ken Dodd, one of the country’s most celebrated entertainers, now entering his seventh decade of tickling our funny bones, will this year honour Ludlow Arts Festival by performing his marathon of anecdotes, one-liners and slapstick at the Big Top Theatre on Friday, July 4 in an evening of truly tattifelarious laughter and fun.

"We really do have the perfect mix of outstanding and unmissable entertainment ," says festival director Chris Davis.

For further details and postal booking information, visit ludlowartsfestival.co.uk. To book, call 0844 2485165, and online at ticketmaster.co.uk.