PREPARATIONS are underway for one of the North-East’s biggest festivals, featuring five stages of music, comedy and children’s entertainment.

Hardwick Live Festival will take place this weekend at Hardwick Hall Hotel, in Sedgefield, County Durham and organisers are gearing up to welcome headliners Manic Street Preachers to ramp up the crowds on Saturday, while James will be playing their greatest hits on Sunday.

Fans can enjoy a long list of stars joining them on the main stage across the weekend including The Zutons, Lisa Stansfield, Ziggy Marley, Stiff Little Fingers, Sister Sledge featuring Kathy Sledge and Billy Bragg.

Over on the discovery stage, there will be performances from Catherine McGrath, The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club, The Joy Formidable, Lancashire Hot Pots, Sports Team, Hyde Park Brass Band, Zuzu, Only the Poets, Bloxx and Saint Agnes.

The festival will also welcome world-famous club brands Glitterbox and Retro to the Coachhouse Courtyard for the first time, with a line-up of top DJs including The Shapeshifters, Joey Negro, Paul Taylor and Jeremy Healy.

Another new addition to the festival will see the BBC Tees introducing stage host ten of the region’s rising stars over the two days.

The dome will return once more with sets from DJs, featuring headline performances from Denney, Mark Jenkyns and Elliot Adamson, along with a comedy line-up earlier in the day.

Families are also catered for, with a host of activities in the children’s area including circus workshops, arts and crafts and an inflatable area and roaming entertainers around the site like the Segway Angels and Roarsome the friendly dinosaur.

John Adamson, owner of Hardwick Hall Hotel, believes the event will have something for everyone.

He said: “We have some really exciting plans in the mix for this year’s festival and now that the event is only a few days away, things are really starting to come together.

“There is a whole range of entertainment for people to make the most of over the weekend and this year is shaping up to be our biggest and best yet.”

The festival will take place on Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18.

For more information about the festival visit hardwicklive.co.uk