THE Barry Island Weekenders festival is returning to the Vale in July and August.

The Welsh International Open Beach Volleyball Championships will open the show on Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6, and will include an Olympic size centre court with a public seating area right on the sand.

For a night time spectacle, Weekenders favourites The Isle of Fire will be returning to the festival with their evening shows on Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20 starting at 9pm, where the audience walks through a path of flames, encountering fire-breathing flowers, scorching sculptures and entrancing trees.

The Street Theatre Weekender will feature on Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3 with performances starting at midday and lasting throughout the afternoon.

And on Saturday, August 23 and Sunday, August 24 the Cinema by the Sea Weekender will be showing cinema classic The Goonies and Abba musical Mamma Mia from 8.30pm each night.

All events are completely free, and with the likes of musical maestros All That Jazz, Samba Galez and Wonderbrass on the bill, this year’s festival promises to be the best one yet.

For more information on events across the Vale this summer follow @visitthevale or go to www.visitthevale.com.