A 10-day festival gets underway in Whitefield this week with a host of acts ready to entertain audiences.

Whitefield Live officially kicks off on Thursday with a night of indie music at Hollins Social Club on Brook Lane from 7pm.

On the same night, comedian Steve Evets will then entertain people at the Whitefield Garrick Theatre, which will include him reading his own brand of poetry.

More comedy will be at the Bay Horse pub on Parr Lane on Friday night.

Then on Saturday, Whitefield’s brass band, Besses O'th' Barn Band, will perform at Hamilton Park from 3pm to around 5pm.

Later that day, the Eagle and Child pub on Higher Lane will hold a poetry night.

Singer-songwriter Laurie Wright will be among the entertainment at the Beehive Inn pub on Bury New Road on Sunday afternoon while Frigate on Thatch Leach Lane will be inviting wannabe comedians to the stage in an open mic event.

Then on Thursday, June 23, covers band Boomerang Band will be playing at the Sir Robert Peel pub on Sunny Bank Road with 3Guys1Box performing at the Coach and Horses on Bury Old Road on the same night.

The event has been organised by Whitefield Business Group with funding coming from funding allocated from Bury Town of Culture and a Covid recovery fund.

A spokesperson for the festival said: "Successive lockdowns hit Whitefield hospitality venues hard while at the same time live entertainers in the area also lost their incomes.

“As we hope to put the pandemic behind us Whitefield Live will reset the button and bring back a sense of hope and normality to Whitefield.”

Cllr Lucy Smith, who represents Besses ward, cannot wait for the festival to get underway.

She said: "This will be a celebration of the rich heritage and cultuWhitefield.

“The events suit all tastes and all pockets and hopefully there is something there for everyone.

“I look forward to working with the business group in the future to build on this success."

For more information visit http://whitefieldlive.co.uk.