NEXT week sees the start of the 34th Monmouth Festival, with the first taking place in 1982 in Agincourt Square and including entertainment alongside the music.

Nowadays, the music takes centre stage and the location has moved from the top of town to the Cattle Market car park and last year saw the introduction of the new stage with two large LED screens either side. The first Busking festival was also held in the town in 2014, and returns this year, with competition for the available slots expected to be keen.

On the line-up are China Crisis, whose debut album appeared in 1982, and who went on to have five Top 40 singles and three Top 40 albums, will take to the main stage on Saturday, August 1 at 9.30pm. The winner of this year's Monmouth's Got Talent, guitarist Max Weeden, plays on

Monday, July 27 and the festival's first Saturday features UK Foo Fighters on stage at 9.30pm.

Music will take over the whole town for the nine days of the festival, with St Mary's Church presenting five concerts including the Pontypridd Male Voice Choir and harpist Gwenllian Lllyr, and The Three Horseshoes hosting 10 events over the course of the festival.

Monmouth Festival is free, but donations welcome, and runs from Friday, July 24 to Saturday, August 1. For full details of the line-up, go to monmouthfestival.co.uk