IT MIGHT not have been up to Beijing standards but our very own spectacular firework display last night marked the end of another successful Worcester Festival.

Featuring a record 379 events (238 of them free of charge) spread across just over four weeks, the festival has yet again put Worcester firmly on the arts map.

The Edinburgh Festival might be the summer arts event that attracts all the national headlines but visitors to Worcester during the last month will have found something to suit every taste.

From Shakespeare in the open air, to rock concerts, from a beer festival to readings from top children’s authors, there was truly an event for everyone this year.

The key to the festival’s success is that it does not try to be something it is not. It is unashamedly local and that leads to a relaxed, celebratory atmosphere throughout the event.

Now in its fifth year, the Worcester Festival gets bigger and better every year.

Its growing success is a tribute to Chris Jaeger and his Worcester Live team, who also run the city’s Swan Theatre and Huntingdon Hall venues.

They get through an enormous amount of work both planning and delivering the festival.

And they deserve all the praise they get.

This newspaper devotes a large amount of space to the Worcester Festival every year because we believe it to be a vital part of city life. Long may that continue to be the case