A FREE festival of music and politics is being held by the Labour Party in response to Nigel Farage's Brexit Party rolling into Colchester.

The festival, titled For the Many and the Tunes, is being jointly hosted by the Colchester and Harwich and North Essex Labour Parties, and will feature national speakers alongside bands and DJs based in the area.

Party members decided to hold an event to combat "Farage's politics of hate and division" after hearing his party would bring its Brexit Party Conference Tour to the Jobserve Community Stadium early next month.

Acts so far confirmed for the festival include Band of Fools, The Verdicts, Stephen Pilkington and DJs Thomas Owen and Carwyn Jones.

Speakers include Shelley Asquith, union representatives, community groups and Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Colchester, Tina McKay.

Mrs McKay said: "With Nigel Farage coming to Colchester it’s important to show we are a strong and inclusive community which refuses to be divided by hate.

"Farage might choose to scapegoat migrants and the most vulnerable, but politics is really about people coming together to find real solutions to our collective everyday problems.

"So we plan to create a positive, hopeful atmosphere that unites our community around what we have in common, and what we can do together to improve life in Colchester and beyond.”

The festival is free of charge and takes place next Saturday (Aug 31) from 5pm to 10pm at Firstsite, in Lewis Gardens.

There will be food stalls and refreshments available.

Tickets can be booked online at forthemanyandthetunes.eventbrite.co.uk.

Booking is advised but not essential.