COMMUNITIES are due to be brought together through music as a Love Music Hate Racism event comes to Southampton.

An array of local musicians are due to take to the stage alongside speakers on racism and equality tomorrow as Trifest heads to Riverside Park. 

Hosted by Southampton Stand Up to Racism the Love Music Hate Racism event is aimed at using "the power of music to bring together individuals and communities in a beautiful resistance against bigotry and hatred and show that Southampton is a united, diverse and talented place."

Taking place from 12.30pm until 7pm, performers include Michel Ng, Steve Daniels, Jacquie Daniels, XR Samba Band, Fragile Lucy, Red Star Choir, Jazz Phantom, Vince Kellett, Nick Haynes, The Darwins, The Sinking Brass Band, The Ben Baker Fiasco, Ronk Torp, and NutMeg.

Trifest also features games, a dog show, beer tent and food stalls and a spokesperson for the event said: “Whatever the genre, music is living testimony to the fact that cultures can and do mix.

"Music has the power to unite, to give strength and to affect positive social change.Racism, on the other hand, weakens us; it creates barriers and turns friends and neighbours against one another.

"Sadly, racism is on the rise in the UK - and locally here in Southampton too - where hate crime is an increasing threat to community safety, having increased by almost 10% last year.

"We believe that if we work together we can harness the power of music to stop this destructive force in its tracks”.