TICKETS for the Swaledale Festival will go on sale on Monday, ahead of the event taking place in May and June.

Highlights of the festival, from Saturday, May 23 to Saturday, June 6, include the European Union Chamber Orchestra performing with exciting turntable artist Shiva Feshareki and violinist Fenella Humphreys, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, and folk singers extraordinaire The Young’uns – all at The Garden Rooms at Tennants in Leyburn.

Grinton Church will host jazz guitarist Martin Taylor, folk groups WÖR and The Fretless, The Carducci String Quartet and leading vocal group VOCES8.

Reeth events kick off on the Bank Holiday weekend with an exciting range of free activities on Reeth Green for children and their families: storytelling, woodcarving, music, kite-making and clog dancing. Reeth Memorial Hall will host a Family Ceilidh, Dales folk group Fourum, guitarist Stuart Masters with tabla player Harkiret Singh Bahra, and 2020 Reeth Lecturer, mountaineer Doug Scott.

There are concerts by three world class string quartets and three former BBC Young Musicians of the Year: pianist Freddy Kempf, oboist Nicholas Daniel and cellist Laura van der Heijden. There are world premieres of two lute songs, both composed by rock star bassists: Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones and former Police frontman Sting.

Local brass bands, choirs, folk groups, visual artists and poets play a significant part, and there are more guided walks in the glorious Dales landscape than ever.

For further info visit www.swalefest.org.