BIRTHDAY celebrations for the 10th annual Witney Music Festival this year kicked off at the weekend and visitors dub the event as "absolutely brilliant".

The 18-day festival which launched on Friday night will see more than 100 performers offer free shows at pubs, bars and even barbers shops in the town.

Richard Ford, 64, a volunteer at Cogges Manor Farm – one of the festival venues – and a member of Ducklington Morris Dancers, said the festival was "great fun" so far.

He said: "It's been absolutely brilliant. There are loads of people here and there's lots of different music.

"Nick Cope is on at the moment and is doing a wonderful show for the children. We have swing boats going, there's a bar of course, people are looking at the animals at Cogges and people are enjoying the walled garden.

"We've been doing have a go sessions with Ducklington Morris Dancers and have had a lot of interest. Children have come up and we've dressed them up in bells and hankies and they had a go at dancing. It's been great fun and it's going really well."

The festival was founded 10 years ago by resident Stuart Foster in memory of his sister Jo Marie, who died in her sleep of heart failure at the age of 21.

All proceeds and donations from events will be split between local branches of the British Heart Foundation and MacMillan Cancer Support, as well as 7C's Foundation, a music academy in Witney helping youngsters develop through music.

Visit witneymusicfestival.com to see what's coming up this week.