A NEW music event has been lined up in Cheltenham in the summer, promising a new take on festival-going.

World, folk and contemporary music will combine in a weekend festival from June 3 to 5, which will also include talks, debates, films, workshops and other activities.

It is planned to be an annual event and aims to bring people together to enjoy music as well as experience new music and cultural understanding.

It takes place at Cheltenham Racecourse and Oxfam will be selling tickets and receiving a donation for every ticket sold.

"We hope that Wychwood will be a festival for all the right reasons and that our audience will enjoy a fantastic experience at our first event," said festival director Graeme Merrifield. "In the words of Michael Franti, there are two things that can bring people together, war and music, and we're here to demonstrate how powerful the latter can be."

The Wychwood name has come from the Wychwood Forest which covered most of West Oxfordshire. Until the 1850s, 40,000 local people enjoyed a day of celebration there every year until it was cancelled so landowners could clear the ancient oaks to sell to the navy.