COLCHESTER’S biggest ever free festival is set to feature a whirlwind of culture and talent - including live music from 64 bands across more than a dozen stages.

Returning for its fifth year, BIG Sunday takes the best musicians, singers, actors, artists and writers from across the town and offers them a chance to display their talent.

Put together by a hard-working team of more than 20 volunteers, the festival will include a giant market featuring street food, a vegan market, vintage shopping and a CD and record fair.

Dorian Kelly, organiser, said: “Colchester is a real centre of excellence in the arts with more bands, choirs, orchestras, poets, writers, musicians and artists than the rest of Essex and Suffolk put together.

“One in 14 of us work in the creative sector - it’s our biggest employment sector by far, bringing in real money for the town.

“So we want to show just what we have.” For the first time, the event will include a complete festival centred on 100 years of women’s suffrage and marking the 90th anniversary of the passing of law which gave women the vote.

It will be based around Mrs Pankhursts’ Tea Pavillion, where discussion, poetry and art displays will take place over tea and cake.

A ceremony will include a huge international choir of 100 voices and a suffragette speech by Carli Norris, who has appeared in Eastenders, Hollyoaks and Holby City.

A youth stage will give eight young bands from Essex Music Education Hub the opportunity to shine while a digital gamer’s bus will give free access to 30 state of the art consoles and two virtual reality rooms.

Talent from across the world will be showcased at the international arena, where Indian, Ghurkha, Samba, Salsa and African drumming will be on display.

Other highlights include a festival featuring 16 DJs.

The festival will be held at Firstsite gallery and surrounding pubs, cafes and open spaces, throughout Sunday, July 8.