This summer's Romsey Arts Festival may break all records following a massive response from artists and performers.

The official programme, out soon, lists 62 different events involving hundreds of participants. That's in additional to groups taking part in the traditional Beggars' Fair at the start of the Festival fortnight in July.

Arts Festival Chairman June Palmer says this year's Festival, the seventh since 1987, is set to the biggest yet: "We had 56 groups taking part last time around in 2002, but the response this year has overwhelmed us. We are hoping to beat our audience record in the summer and top the 20,000 mark for the first time."

The programme lists a variety of events from classical Indian sitar to an exhibition of costumes used in major films. Many familiar Romsey groups will be taking part as well as first-time performers including Southampton-based Art Asia and a choir from Lithuania.

This year's Festival is spread over 21 separate venues, indoors and out.

The Festival programme is launched in the next few weeks and tickets for most events are on sale from May 1st at the Romsey Heritage and Information Centre. It is hoped that the programme will soon be available on-line on the Festival's first-ever website. Check the Advertiser for regular updates.