Soul siren Imelda May and dreadlocked guitarist Newton Faulkner have been announced as headline acts at this year’s Canterbury Festival.

The pair will take to the Marlowe Theatre stage on separate nights in October, kick-starting three weeks of live entertainment.

First up will be Faulkner, on Wednesday October 18, with the city his first stop on a solo UK tour. A renowned songwriter, he first came into the public eye in 2007 with his platinum-selling album Hand Built By Robots, which spent a year in the top 40.

His tour ties in with the release of his sixth album. In 2012 he performed his hit single "Dream Catch Me" in Canterbury Cathedral at the funeral of fundraiser and writer Nicole Dryburgh, from Whitstable, who died of cancer.

Irish singer May – who counts Bob Dylan among her fans – will perform at the same venue two days later.

It will be the only autumn date on her own UK tour, promoting her new album, Life Love Flesh Blood.

Canterbury Festival director Rosie Turner said: “It’s a case of ‘save the date’ for these amazing gigs as festival tickets are not yet on sale. It’s very exciting that two such current artists will be performing for us, guaranteeing this year’s festival kicks off with a bang.”

Tickets go on sale to Festival Friends on Monday July 17, and to the wider public from Monday July 31.

Visit www.canterburyfestival.co.uk.