Excitement is building for Stevenage Day, which will be held on Sunday - the first time as a live event since 2019, after the pandemic saw the annual celebrations go virtual for two years.

Held at King George V Playing Fields, off Fairlands Way, this year's theme will be 'reimagining Stevenage,' and will focus on arts and culture in the community, as well as the Queen's Platinum Jubilee and the Commonwealth Games, with lots of free fun activities for a range of ages.

There will also a main performance area and twin stages of Rock in the Park, supported by The Practice Roomz recording studio in Stevenage.

With a wide variety of specialist food vendors and more than 200 stalls dedicated to charities, voluntary organisations and local businesses, there's sure to be something for everyone.

Stevenage Borough Council has also worked with local and regional partners to introduce a new major arts programme, which will celebrate the diversity of the community and its culture and creativity.

These events will include storytelling and a craft tent, a carnival parade with live music, an interactive zone for local artists to offer creative workshops and promote their work, and a world music programme.

The live event in 2019 attracted more than 30,000 people and, with Sunday's weather forecast warm and sunny (at the time of writing), the organisers are promising this year's event "will be bigger and better than ever".

Stevenage Day will be held from noon until 5pm, and Stevenage Borough Council said "it will be the largest free event of its kind in Hertfordshire".

Stevenage mayor, Councillor Sandra Barr, said: “Excitement is building ahead of this year’s Stevenage Day, all the more so as this is our first as a town since 2019.

"Residents and visitors of all ages will find something they can look forward to on the day. It’s a great opportunity for local people to come together and have fun.

"Perhaps most of all, this year's event will give a significant boost to our local charities, now they can benefit from face-to-face contact with people once more, after the last two difficult years of the pandemic.”