Blues in a brewery, rock from the top of a double decker bus, the chance to quiz a member of The Pretenders and a surprise music-themed installation by the historic Guildhall are just a few of highlights of this year’s Worcester Music Festival, which takes place in 34 venues across the city from August 29-31.

The urban festival of live, original music, which is free entry with no tickets required, has a host of new elements this year, with 255 acts from across the UK getting ready to take the city by storm.

With every genre imaginable represented, from acoustic rock, funky folk, jazz and blues to metal, electronic and ska, the celebration of music also has scores of free workshops for adults and children of all abilities to enjoy*, from a drum clinic with demos, battles and jams to computer sound sequencing, as well as dance workshops including an introduction to salsa and lindy hop.

One of the new workshop programme highlights for this year is a BBC Introducing Q&A at The Hive library and information centre in Sawmill Walk with a guest panel of experts including Martin Chambers from The Pretenders, Verden Allen from Mott The Hoople and Nigel Clark from Dodgy.

Arts venture Clik Clik Collective will also be bringing a veritable feast of street entertainment to the proceedings, with everything from The Hear and Now – Play Me, the chance to have a tinkle on one of the pianos dotted around town, Musical Mugs character boards for photo opportunities, as well as the surprise installation at the Guildhall on the High Street at 3pm on Saturday, 30.

Rise independent music shop will be hosting a stage in Bell Square in CrownGate, while there will also be live music from the top of a double decker bus at the fountains at The Quay.

There will also be three days of foot-stomping, free folk at St Swithun’s Institute Halls in The Trinity and The Farriers Arms in Fish Street, complete with the ever popular acoustic jam.

New venues include the Bridge Inn in Lowesmoor Terrace, the Paul Pry in The Butts, The Talbot in Barbourne, Heart of Worcestershire College and Worcester Brewing Company.

Ant Robbins, chairman of Worcester Music Festival, said this year’s festival, sponsored by Child Care Bureau and Worcestershire County Council, was going to be a corker.

“We have so much great music lined up this year and the beauty is, it costs absolutely nothing to see thanks to the support of our wonderful bands and artists and band of volunteers,” he said. “We are particularly excited about the outside elements this year, meaning that wherever you are in the city centre, you should be able to hear some fantastic, new music.”

The festival is not just about the music. Each year, the event raises money through collection buckets and raffle tickets at venues for local charities, this year’s good cause being Worcestershire Young Carers, which supports 7-25 year olds who might be looking after a physically disabled relative or helping to raise siblings in a home where a parent has mental health problems.

Festival goers will also, this year, be able to buy a pint of Worcester Music Festival Pale Ale, created specially for the 2014 event by Pope’s Brewery in Blackpole.

A FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF WORCESTER MUSIC FESTIVAL 2014

County cool

In terms of the hundreds of bands and artists descending on the city to play for free to generate new fans, newcomers from within Worcester’s borders include Evie Privitera and her inimitable piano rock, punk poppers In The Front Seat, who have just released their debut single, Portia, who have been compared to Lana Del Rey, and Collective 43, a 13-strong swing and funk band whose instruments include a typewriter as well as a tuba, saxophone and a banjo.

From the county, the festival is set to welcome the likes of Malvern metal band From the World Below,Redditch rockers The Callout, who have supported McFly, acoustic folk artist Aymee Weir from Droitwich, Pershore funk band Prism, and Kidderminster alternative rockers Fracture Zone.

One of the youngest artists to play at this year’s festival is 14-year-old Worcester soul singer Ben Hughes, who applied to perform to gain experience for a hopeful career in music.

Out of town

Highlights from beyond the county include indie pop band Pony and Trap from London, who have supported the likes of Peace and Brother & Bones, appeared at Latitude Festival and were described by BBC radio’s Edith Bowman as “amazing” when they were hailed winners of the Marshall award for best live music performance at the National Music Student Awards 2013.

If you love 90s grunge, The Kut, also from London, achieved a winning spot in MTV UK’s Unsigned competition, while their latest single, No Trace, was produced by James LeRock Loughrey, the man behind hits from Skindred, Manic Street Preachers, Bjork and Def Leppard. They also played at London 2012 Olympics and the Paralympics.

The Pink Diamond Revue from Reading are for those that like music that blends darkwave washes with 1950s, reverb guitar twangs and psychedelic sound effects. Plus, they have a mannequin on stage with them. With heavy instrumental rockers Arbor Lights from Birmingham, meanwhile, you might need another drink from the bar, but you’ll find it very hard to pull yourself away from the expansive, washed out guitars colliding with pounding drums and dub-infused basslines.

Indie folk fans might want to get along to Jess McAllister from Exeter, who layers acoustic roots, haunting harmonies and energetic drums to create adventurous sounds, Barnaby Carter from Bristol, who writes electronica from chopped up piano and field recordings in the vein of Jon Hopkins and Bonobo, and Luke Wylde & The Japes from Wolverhampton, who use delicate ukulele, full-bodied bass, percussion and intricate guitar to flirt with Californian surf pop riffs.