The countdown to Christmas 2024 is on at Worcester Cathedral.

The cathedral has announced the dates and timings for its Christmas Tree Festival.

The event will be open from Thursday, December 5 until Monday, January 6, excluding Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

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Visitors can view the trees during regular hours, which are 10am to 5pm from Monday to Saturday, and 12.30pm to 3pm on Sundays.

The 2024 festival is set to be the biggest yet, with 150 trees lining the Medieval Cloisters and Chapter House.

The trees will be decorated by schools, charities, and businesses in the community.

This year, the Cathedral has also introduced "autism-friendly quiet hours" on every Saturday of December in the lead up to Christmas (7, 14, 21, and 23), from 9am until 10am.

The festival will be sponsored for the first time by four nearby businesses: Haus Installations, Nicol & Co Estate Agents, Thermabead Ltd, and Vandemoortele Worcester.

Cathy Sloan, director of fundraising at the Cathedral, said: "Our stunning Christmas Tree Festival has become a much-loved and cherished community event, holding a special place in the hearts of our visitors and becoming a part of many families’ Christmas traditions.

"Its popularity has grown over the years with local schools, charities, and businesses flocking to design a tree and take part in this beautiful festive event.

"It has become clear with its growth in both size and popularity that many organisations wish to play more of a part in this special event, helping us to fund the festivities and enjoying the benefits of a prime tree location, an invitation to the festival launch event, and complimentary tree recycling.

"The Christmas Tree Festival is a self-funding event that is free for visitors to enjoy each year.

"We are extremely grateful to receive the kind support of our sponsors this year, enabling us to continually grow this spectacular festive event, visited and loved by many thousands of people every year."

The festival is a finalist in the Visit Worcestershire Tourism Awards for the Festival & Event of the Year category, with the result set to be announced in March.