More than 100 attractions will open their doors for free for this year’s record-breaking My Kent Big Weekend.

In excess of 79,500 applications were received for the 16,500 free passes to experiences across the county, ranging from Rochester Cathedral to Sea Searcher Boat Trips.

It is the highest number of requests the event has ever received – 27,900 more than last year.

Formerly known as the Kent Big Day Out, it became a two-day festival last year and has 123 attractions signed up.

Only open to people from Kent, applicants were entered into a ballot in February for the tickets, with successful entrants getting complimentary admission to the likes of Dickens World, Doddington Place Gardens, Leeds Castle, the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway and the Canterbury Tales on Saturday, March 17, and Sunday, March 18.

Visit Kent chief executive Sandra Matthews-Marsh said: “We have even exceeded our own high expectations.

“It is the sixth year we have held this special celebration of Kent for Kent people – showcasing our wealth of tourism, leisure and hospitality businesses to local residents.

“It is the first time that we have worked with our tourism partners in the Pas de Calais, Eurotunnel and Eurolines to celebrate our cross-Channel links which add so much value to Kent as a destination to our 56.6 million visitors each year.

“Those two trips alone attracted a total of 2,353 applications. My Kent Big Weekend clearly depends on the generosity of our many different attractions, from golf courses to castles, providing free tickets.”

Sandra continued: “But we also rely on the support of all our Kent media partners – magazines, newspapers, radio stations and websites – which have devoted so much energy to promoting the event to their readers and audiences right across the county.

“Thanks to this campaign, thousands of Kent people have been able to catch up with our many new attractions and developments at traditional favourites.

“They will be able to draw on their personal experiences to offer recommendations to their guests and visitors coming to the county during the London Games and for many years to come,” she added.