GUITAR fanatics from across the country will be heading to the area this weekend, as the fourteenth International Gypsy Guitar Festival takes place in fields off Tumpy Green Lane, near Dursley.

The size of this family friendly boutique event belies the quality of musicianship available to festival-goers.

The Gypsy Guitar and its music were made famous in the late 1930s by the Belgian Gypsy Virtuoso Django Reinhardt his companion Stephan Grapelli and their band the Hot Club of France. Many of the worlds leading guitar heroes name the illiterate, partially crippled (only had use of a few fingers of his left hand after a caravan fire in his teens) gypsy musician Django as a musical inspiration.

For this festival, founder and Gypsy Fire guitarist Stuart Carter-Smith has brought the very best in this genre from across the world to entertain .

“Its as important to see the “new blood” as well as the true legends” says Stuart, as this year the festival welcomes the great Dorrado Schmitt, who is playing in the UK for the first time.

Other appearances include (Amati Schmitt (France), Gismo Graf (Germany) and Remi Harris (UK), The Matt Holborn Quartet, Moscow Drug Club, Kourosh Kanani Band, Romany Diamonds and many more. There are also plenty of workshops to get involved in.

Children and camping are included in the ticket price, and there are plenty of stalls including local food, ales, and much more.

For more details, please visit www.iggf.co.uk