The Bury St Edmunds Festival is back to 10 days this year after last year’s shorter version left the town wanting more.

“Last year we had four days and it felt as though we were only just getting going when it was a case of ‘oh, it’s gone’,” said festival manager, Nick Wells.

“So, this year, it’s great to be back to full strength.”

The Festival – launched last night at a packed Apex – will run from Friday, May 16, to Sunday, May 25, with events taking place all over Bury.

As well as the Apex, venues will include St Edmundsbury Cathedral, The Athenaeum, St Mary’s Church, Abbeygate Picturehouse, Smiths Row and the Theatre Royal.

Mr Wells added: “We wanted a sense of the festival spreading all around the town.”

Events will include the inaugural concert of Suffolk Camerata, a new chamber orchestra founded by professional conductor, Ben Palmer, a former pupil at King Edward Grammar School.

Other highlights include a weekend of free street entertainment, poet Wendy Cope and the Endellion String Quartet, harpist Lavinia Meijer and the West Suffolk Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Councillor Sarah Stamp, portfolio holder for heritage, arts and culture at St Edmundsbury borough council, said the festival would provide economic benefits for the town. “We wanted something for everyone this year, seasoned concert-goer or not,” she added.