SOUTHAMPTON'S biggest free music festival is to make a welcome return in 2020.

Music in the City organisers have announced that the popular pop-up event will take place on September 26 and 27.

Now in its 12th year, it brings live music to a variety of weird and wonderful venues around Southampton, normally including the city's historic vaults, the ruins of Holyrood Church and Shieldhall, the largest working steamship in Britain.

Organisers have promised another celebration of the fantastic diversity of musical talent from across the city and beyond and will make the party even bigger and better than ever before if they are able to go ahead once Coronavirus restrictions are lifted.

In a statement, they said: "It's a tough time at the moment, and it actually seems a bit strange to be announcing a date for a music festival, however we all need something to look forward to!

"This year's Music in the City will take place on September 26 and 27. We are really looking forward to another fantastic weekend of music. In the meantime, please stay safe and look after one another."

Organisers are still working on the programme but, last year, the event boasted 170 performances at 22 venues with well over 1000 musicians playing throughout the day on the Saturday, followed by a few more low key classical events on the Sunday.

Southampton will come alive with the sounds of over 100 hours of free live music from all genres.

Expect everything from from rock to jazz, classical to Americana and folk to blues in some of the city's best settings, including God's House Tower, an incredible 700-year-old building which has just had a seven year £3.1 million refurbishment project completed on it.

Music in the City has been visited by nearly 150,000 people in its history.

MITC 2020