A POPULAR music festival is due to return to a small Cotswold village for the 54th time this year.
The Guiting Music Festival is held in Guiting Power, a small village near Stow-on-the-Wold and still continues to grow since its inception in 1970.
Festivalgoers will swarm the town, home to just over 300 people most of whom are music enthusiasts, from July 29 to July 28.
Rosie C Bartlett, a trustee of Guiting Music Festival said: "Its not the biggest festival but its really well known for such a little village.
"At the moment it is going really well, it has only continued to grow since covid.
"Before covid we were in the village hall which could fit around 200 people, but now we have a marquee on the village green and it can fit 360 people this year.
"We have already had one of our concerts sell out."
Tickets for the concert on July 26 have already sold out despite having only been available to the general public since April 29.
Musicians who grace stages across the world as well as up and coming artists are set to perform in what could be the biggest year yet for the festival.
Sheku Kanneh-Mason who performed at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding will be accompanied by the 28 piece Fantasia Orchestra as well as actress Barbara Dickson, Joe Stilgoe and The Entertainers.
She continued: "Last year we had over 2,000 people which was amazing despite the fact that it was raining non stop, but everyone made a good time of it.
"The festival is lovely as Guiting Power is a really nice village with a great view overlooking the North Cotswold Hills, I am just hoping for some lovely sunshine."
The origins of the festival come from a professor of piano who lived in the village and wanted to perform in front of people.
Probyn Miers, festival chair said: "The village hall is quite old and stuffy and people have said to me, please please don't ever go back, so we have decided to continue with the marquee.
"In the village hall I think the most we had was around 1,360 people.
"I am surprised at the speed at which one of the concerts has sold out.
"We are hoping to expand the marquee to fit a few more people in and I am thoroughly looking forward to this years music."
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