A festival promoting local bands and grassroots music venues is back for the bank holiday weekend.

The Maidstone Fringe Festival returns to the county town for five days of live entertainment, music and comedy.

The event, which relaunched in 2022 after being forced to pause for Covid-19, will see pubs and venues such as the Flower Pot, Drakes, the Style and Winch, Market House, Craft Brewed and the Skull Bar take part.

Artists will also be performing at the Lockmeadow Food Court, the Royal Star Arcade and in an outdoor performance space at Fremlin Walk.

The festival boasts a programme of live music, with the focus being on bands that are based in or grew up in Kent.

The musicians span a variety of genres, such as rock, indie, ska, acoustic, folk, blues and pop musicians performing across the bank holiday weekend.

Artists set to appear this year include rock and blues band David Migden and the Twisted Roots, psychedelic group Queen Phosphene, Medway-based band the Lost Search Party, Americana group Rowsie and Maidstone’s own the Lowly Strung.

There will also be pub quizzes, samba dancing, DJs, improv comedy and music workshops taking place over the long weekend.

The festival runs from Thursday, May 2 to Monday, May 6. You can find out more on the Maidstone Fringe Festival Facebook page.

Most events are free to enter and there’s no need to book.