IT HAS been confirmed that Essex’s 2012 Colchester Festival will go ahead.

Following a meeting with Colchester Borough Council and Colchester Cricket Club, Essex confirmed that despite weeks of heavy rain and damp conditions the Festival will go ahead.

Advance sales and hospitality bookings are certainly encouraging, Danny Macklin, commercial manager said: “We are obviously very pleased that the popular Castle Park festival can go ahead.

“A huge amount of work is and will take place over the coming few weeks. The festival has a true international flavour this year with the visits of Glamorgan and the Netherlands. We very much hope and expect to once again enjoy bumper crowds for each day. We also have the ever popular Real Ale Festival for the week.”

The Festival gets under way on Wednesdaym August 15, when Welsh county Glamorgan visit Colchester in the LV= County Championship then Essex will be going orange on Sunday, August 19 when the Netherlands travel overseas in the latter stages of the Clydesdale Bank 40.

This year the festival expects to have a real family atmosphere with something on offer for everyone including the popular Real Ale Festival Marquee.

Tickets for the Glamorgan LV= CC match are available at �16 Adult and �9 Junior, Netherlands in CB40 advanced ticket price �17 Adult and �9 Junior.