NINE days and counting down as it gets closer to the return of Somerfest, Somerset’s midsummer festival.

On June 17, it will return to the centre of Taunton from noon-6pm.

The theme of this year’s free outdoor arts festival is FEAST.

The organisers, Fuseperformance, have created an exiting menu of live music, outdoor theatre, dance, circus and acrobatics, aerial trapeze and puppetry with shows inspired from a range of diverse cultures.

You are being invited to bring a picnic and enjoy the music in Goodland Gardens, spectacular performances in Castle Green, experience the cultural events in the High Street and join the Birthday festivities in and around the Brewhouse in Somerset Square.

Somerset County Gazette:

The festival programme will include an array of local performers and artists, dancers, musicians, performers and circus artists at different venues including: Goodland Gardens Music Stage and Mambo Bar: Bottle Top Boogie Band, Triple Threat, State of the Wild, New Heroes, John Maybe, Indian Man Sound System Upper High St: Lekan Babalola with Olu Taiwo Sacred Funk -Afrobeat with funky dance overtones; Storytree a show for all the family, Kwabana Lindsay Fool on a Rope playing a violin and local musicians Alex Smith, Ross Vicary Castle Green: Lords of Strut, The Strong Lady, Bingo Lingo, Streetlinkz, Fusion FX, Big Noise Street Band, Skintight Samba, Circus Antics Somerslam! at 11am spoken word / poetry competition - Somerset’s very own spoken word contest to crown the new Somerset Slam Champion.

Somerset County Gazette:

This year, Somerfest 2017 celebrates Brewhouse Theatre’s 40th Anniversary Celebrations and hosts the Great Somerset Duck Race and Long Sword Challenge.

Fuseperformance has received Arts Council funding for the last two years for Somerfest to support the inclusion of local and national artists as well as new and emergent artists.