THIS year’s Worcester Festival starts this weekend and with 17 days of fun ahead people will be spoilt for choice of what to do.

On Saturday at 11.10am the Gugge 2000 will return to the streets of Worcester.

Filling the city centre with their Guggen music — a feel-good brass and percussion band — it’s the perfect way to start the festival.

You can catch the Gugge band at 12.30pm and at 2pm as well.

If live music is your thing then be sure to pop around to the Crowngate Live Stage (at the back of Huntingdon Hall) during the festival as there are lots of talented artists and groups from the area due to play.

The full list can be found on the Worcester Festival website.

Saturday is the final day of the Worcester Beer, Cider and Perry Festival so people can head down to Pitchcroft for food, live entertainment and of course plenty of beer, cider and perry.

It’s the perfect activity for a summer’s day.

St Martin’s Church in the Cornmarket is hosting an open day on Saturday with some light refreshments available too.

People can come and have a look around the beautiful church and its quaint garden in the heart of the city from 2pm.

From 11am in Crowngate Shopping Centre the wonderful Funky Faces face painters will be painting their magic on the faces and arms of the people of Worcester.

There is no upper age limit so everyone can join in the fun.

Be a pirate or a princess, a superhero, or an animal, the choices are endless and even better is totally free.

On Sunday, The Worcester Show returns to Pitchcroft filled with competition entries, stall holders and live performances.

The fabulous Worcester Mela returns to the show this year, bringing a slice of Asian culture to the city with food and drink, performances, art, henna and much more.

People can discover the birthplace of Worcester’s most famous composer Sir Edward Elgar on Sunday as The Firs in Lower Broadheath opens its doors to visitors.

Now looked after by the National Trust ,this is a perfect place to visit on a Sunday and hopefully soak up some of Elgar’s talent while there.

For the full list of what’s happening this weekend and throughout this year’s Worcester Festival, pick up an event guide or visit www.worcesterfestival.co.uk.