THE city will come alive with Morris dancers and music with the opening of the Folk Weekend Oxford.

At venues across the city, some of the county’s best loved musicians and bands will be performing from Friday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23.

Already in the line up are: Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, who return to Folk Weekend both as a duo and to launch the new album from the Melrose Quartet, Leveret will close the main stage on Sunday and Ange Hardy, Jackie Oates & Megan Henwood will also be performing.

The music event will be based at the Oxford Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre, but the main stage will be based at the Wesley Memorial Church, in New Inn Hall Street.

Free family events will be taking place at both the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Ashmolean Museum to celebrate folk traditions.

Cat Kelly, festival director since 2012, said the event had been an ‘incredible journey.’

She said: “I feel really lucky to have had such support and love from the local folk community during this time.

“Folk Weekend has been run exclusively by volunteers - including me.

“I’ve put an awful lot of myself in to the festival over the last few years.

“There have been great times too, and when I think about everything we’ve achieved I am so, so proud of it all.”

Merchandise will be available to purchase before and during the festival.

To help support the festival visit: folkweekendoxford.co.uk where you can find its fundraising page.

For tickets of some of the musical events over the weekend visit: fao.yapsody.com