It’s become a staple in the music life of Maidstone.

The Fringe Festival returns this weekend for the seventh year and has the County Town’s numerous pubs, clubs and bars queuing up to offer live music, much of it by local talent.

Festival favourites and newcomers from the world of indie, rock, folk and blues music will play over the bank holiday weekend.

Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook, BBC 2 presenter Nell Bryden and Michele Stodart, the singer with the Magic Numbers, are among the headliners announced for the festival, which runs from Thursday, April 27 to May Bank Holiday Monday.

Fringe favourites lining up to play include Funke and the 2 Tone Baby, One Day Elliott, Salvation Jayne and the Scorchers, with local bands including We Are Bandicoot, Bad Pandas and Bamboozle.

Glenn Tilbrook will play a rare solo show and the headliners include chap hop pioneer Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer.

Dance fans will be catered for at Source Bar, with a Defected Records street party: Defected In The House, featuring DJs Sam Divine, Sonny Fodera and Franky Rizardo and at the Social Chill Bar in Week Street there will be a Dojo night featuring Steve Mac, James Allardyce and Mickey J.

It is sponsored by Clive Emson and other local businesses and is supported by One Maidstone.

WHAT'S ON WHEN

Thursday, April 27

MUSIC ROOM – PIZZA EXPRESS: Nell Bryden 7pm (£20)

DRUIDS ARMS: Make Some Noise Glass Peaks, Bonhomie, White Heat 8.30pm

FREDERICS: Fred Clark & Friends 8pm-11pm

THE CELLARS: Cellar Folk 8pm

THE STAG: Mikey Price and Jon Fuller, Vaughan Batchelor, William Harper 8.30pm

Friday, April 28

STYLE & WINCH: MAKE SOME NOISE Funke and the 2 Tone Baby 10pm, Tom Ord 9.15pm Emilia 8.30pm

EARLS: Goosebumps 9pm

DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH: The Scorchers 9pm

THE FLOWERPOT: Ben Mills Duo 9.30pm, Jayne Snow 8.30pm

ROYAL ALBION: The Powers 9pm

DRUIDS ARMS: ProtoStereo 9pm

DRAKES: FACTOTUM PROMOTIONS Falseheads, Radidas, Guru, Burning House 8.30pm

THE WHITE HORSE: The Soundcasters: 9pm

SOCIAL CHILL BAR: DOJO (House/ Tech House) Steve Mac (Rhythm Masters), Gardy (Soul Avengerz), Mark Gwinnett (Cubism), Two Fat Ninjas, Ross Wainwright, James Allardyce, Mickey Jay, Adam French 9pm-4am, free

MUSIC ROOM - PIZZA EXPRESS: Dean Friedman 7pm

BAR6: Out Of Bounds Comedy Club Josh Howie, Njambie McGrath, Craig Murray, Simon Clayton (compere) £10/12

THE CELLARS: David James Rumsey, Connor Noble, Jill Lucas 8.30pm

4 DEGREES: The Weekend Recovery 10pm Eleusia 9.15pm Calamity Script 8.30pm

FREDERIC: Ed Harvey 9pm

Saturday, April 29

STYLE AND WINCH: One Day Elliott 10pm We Are Bandicoot 8.45pm, Nocturne Blonde: 7.15pm, Tin Foil Astronaut: 6pm, Lapis Lazuli: 4.30pm

EARLS: Flawless Carbon 10.30pm Chris Hunter 9.15pm Ferocious Lopez 8pm Broken Banjo 7pm, Rare Devices 5.45pm Out Of Fashion 4.45pm

THE FLOWERPOT TV Smith 9.45pm The Dredgermen 8.30pm Richie Brake 7.30pm
factotum Poetry Clair Meyrick, Matt Chamberlain, Fentiman Hall, Jon Terranova, Lewis Norton, Sam Rapp 2pm-5pm

ROYAL ALBION The Reps 8.30pm, Bamboozle 3pm-5pm

SOCIAL CHILL BAR Absolute Saturdays (funky house & classics) 9pm-4am Mickey Jay plus guests, free

4 DEGREES: Lew Lewis and the Twilight Trio 9pm

DRAKES: Hiphop alldayer Phil Sproule, Steve Buckley, Danielson X Roundhouse 3pm-late

DRUIDS ARMS: Ben Russell and the Charmers 3pm-6pm No Limit Street Band 9pm

WHITE HORSE: Ben Russell and the Charmers 9pm

THE STAG: Clea Rose Trio 8.30pm

MUSIC ROOM – PIZZA EXPRESS: 7pm Glenn Tilbrook 9pm Support TBC £20

SOURCE BAR OPEN STAGE 6pm-6am

Sunday, April 30

ROYAL ALBION: MAKE SOME NOISE 3pm - late, Mollys Bar 10pm Petty Thieves 8.30pm Theatre Royal 7.15pm TV Smith 6pm Best Intentions 4.45pm Fruit Punch 3.30pm Blow Up & MSN DJS

DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH: 6pm-9pm The Narratones 8pm The Galleries 7pm, Smalltown Missfits 6pm

EARLS: Salvation Jayne 9.30pm I Am Aquitaine 8.30pm The Bram Stokers 7.30pm Grapefruit 6.15pm The Devils Prefects 5pm

THE FLOWERPOT: The Lowly Strung 3pm-6pm

THE CELLARS: David Howard & Ian Ingles 3pm-6pm

BAR 6: Bad Pandas 8pm-11pm

DRUIDS ARMS: Royal Monster 8pm Giggle In The Garden – Comedy 5pm-7pm, Sol Bernstein (Edinburgh & Beyond), Mark Simmons (BBC’s On The Road), Magnus Turner MP, Chellar & Cardwell MC Richard Coughlan

DRAKES: Skinny Milk, She Is Defiant, Nude Vyper 8.30pm

MUSIC ROOM – PIZZA EXPRESS: Michele Stodart (The Magic Numbers) 6.45pm, £12

WHITE HORSE: Jam Night & Open Mic Hosted by Samuel Jacques & Paul Moss 8.30pm

SOURCE BAR: Defected In The House Street Party

Bank Holiday Monday

THE STYLE AND WINCH: MAKE SOME NOISE 2pm-10.30pm

FESTIVAL DETAILS

The Maidstone Fringe Festival will run from Thursday, April 27 to Bank Holiday Monday. For details go to maidstone fringe.com