Almost 30 artists have been confirmed for the return of a town centre music festival this spring.

The ninth Maidstone Fringe Festival, which will run from Thursday, May 2 to Bank Holiday Monday, May 6, will take over pubs, clubs and cafes across the County Town, with many acts being free to watch.

Celebrating the diversity of new and original music in Kent and the South East, it will feature live acts from across a range of different genres from rock, indie and pop-punk, through to acoustic and blues acts, ska, contemporary folk, funk, soul, dance and hip-hop, with many popular acts returning.

Already confirmed are bands including regulars David Migden & The The Twisted Roots, Funke & The 2 Tone Baby, Upcdownc and No Limits Street Band, with acts joining them including Maidstone-based The Gallerys and One Day Elliott, The Devils Prefects, Flawless Carbon, Salvation Jane, White Heat, The Ovines and Tin Foil Astronaut.

The festival, which is supported by local venues, One Maidstone BID and Victa Railfreight this year, will also incorporate a -umber of all-day events and family-friendly entertainment in cafes and coffee shops in the town centre.

Venues confirmed so far for the festival include pubs from the Style & Winch, Bierkeller, Market House and the Flower Pot to the Rifle Volunteers, The Stag and Royal Albion and the Duke of Marlborough to the Herbalist, Pizza Express Live, Frederic and Source bar.

More acts and venues will be released soon. For more details go to maidstonefringefestival or maidstonefringe.com