A popular Kent music festival is set to make a return in May after a five-year absence.

Plans are underway to bring back CSP in the Park to Canterbury with a line-up of international artists, as well as local bands and DJs.

The popular weekend event - last held in the Dane John Gardens in 2019 - had been the city’s biggest music festival, attracting up to 5,000 people.

The Covid pandemic derailed plans between 2020 and 2022, but it had been hoped the free-to-attend event would return last year until organisers announced, “with heavy hearts”, that it would not be possible due to increased operating costs.

But now they are planning to stage it across the weekend of May 4 and 5, and are seeking support from backers, with a licence application to be submitted in the near future.

As well as the music, there will be street food and licensed bars, including boutique cocktail and prosecco outlets.

Blake McCaskill, of the City Sound Project, says the ethos to keep the festival free to attend remains but makes it more difficult to finance.

“I was very disappointed we couldn’t hold it last year but I’m pleased to say that we are very confident we can make it happen in 2024 as we have a number of funding commitments in place,” he said.

“Like everything, of course, the cost and red tape of doing anything has gone up - in our case about 50%.

“But the response to us announcing we’re back has been tremendous and we are getting hundreds of messages of support, which is very encouraging.

“We may not be able to make it the same scale as previously but we will certainly be putting on a good show, and I hope to be able to reveal our main acts in the near future.”