One of the largest celebration of folk music and dance is back this May bank holiday.

The Sweeps Festival is returning to Rochester at the end of the month with hundreds of morris dancers from across the country expected to perform.

The annual event, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, will see a variety of folk bands perform including The Singing Loins, Stompin Dave, and The Beard Conspiracy.

Rochester Castle and its surrounding gardens will also be filled with different performers as well as a fun fair rides, workshops, art and music, and food and drink stalls.

The Sweeps Festival has been run by Medway Council, alongside festival founder Gordon Newton, since 1981.

Mr Newton said: "Since founding the festival more than 40 years ago, this May Festival celebration has from strength to strength.

"Morris Dancing is currently having a resurgence in popularity and we are looking forward to welcoming more than 40 Morris sides to this year’s festival.

"We are proud that we are giving new dancers an opportunity to perform in one of the largest May Festival celebrations of its kind, in the world.

"We are looking forward to celebrating century old traditions on the historic high street with a vibrant, local, national and international audience."

The festival is a symbol of the beginning of the British summer, which was welcomed by chimney sweeps and Morris dancers.

It was designed to recreate the joy and laughter enjoyed by them on their traditional holiday.

Head of culture and libraries at Medway Council, Paul Cowell, said: "The Rochester Sweeps Festival is brilliantly unique and quirky and is one of the largest gatherings of Morris sides in the world.

"It is a highly anticipated event and is one of the highlights of our impressive Medway Presents events programme which is set to be beyond your greatest expectations.

"Historic Rochester will be filled with live folk music and dance during this spectacular weekend and we are looking forward to welcoming thousands of people to this iconic festival."

The festival will run between Saturday, April 29 and Monday, May 1.