BRAINTREE'S Festival in the Gardens is set to return for a bumper bank holiday extravaganza.

Organisers say ticket sales are "soaring" for what promises to be a "family fun, action-packed weekend" at Braintree and Bocking Public Gardens in May.

Live music will feature successful Braintree acts, including five-piece Brit pop band Missing Andy.

They were runners-up on Sky One's Must Be The Music in 2010 and went on to play two UK tours, a European tour and shows supporting the legendary Madness and the Specials.

Miss Disco are one of the UK's leading disco bands, who have also played concerts across the UK and Europe, and have decades of experience, including Glastonbury appearances in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

There is also a comedy tent with Braintree Comedy Club's James Beatty and a range of great up and coming comics.

The first festival took place in 2018 for the royal wedding and saw thousands of people turn out.

After two years off during the pandemic, it made a victorious return last year.

The event is being organised by Rachel Woodcraft, husband and Miss Disco drummer Warren, and Missing Andy drummer and music producer Elliot Richardson, who runs Highfield Studio in Great Leighs.

Rachel, who owns the Coffee House in the Gardens, said: "We really want to bring more to Braintree town and our mission as organisers is to create a family fun, action-packed weekend that people will talk about months after.

"We aim to grow each year and put Braintree on the map in what we think is a booming, exciting town to be around.

"After receiving permission from the Braintree and Bocking Public Gardens Trust, we pushed on to build what we think could be a fantastic annual event in Braintree town.

"We have a great range of small businesses, including gourmet hot food stalls, cakes, craft, clothes, sweets, scents and so on."

The festival is being sponsored by Braintree-based real ale company Bishop Nick.

The event will take place on Saturday, May 27, and Sunday, May 28, from 11am to 11pm.

Tickets are priced at £10 and under-16s go free. For tickets visit festivalinthegardens.com.