Around 150,000 people are expected to attend the Mouth of the Tyne Festival, which is held on July 11 and 12 in Tynemouth and South Shields.

The festival is a weekend of world-class street entertainment, live music and special one-off performances.

Highlights include a sell-out concert by chart-topping Irish band The Script, a pageant boasting hundreds of local schoolchildren, a fireworks display and a stunning street parade featuring a nine metre-tall animatronic insect.

The event is organised by North Tyneside and South Tyneside Council while this year it is also supported by DFDS Seaways.

Pete Warne, North Tyneside Council's tourism and events development manager, said: "Excitement is really starting to build ahead of this weekend.

"Performers are on the way to the from around the world while the council teams on both sides of the river are putting final preparations into place.

"This is the fifth Mouth of the Tyne Festival and it's now grown into one of the region's biggest events. I'm sure everyone who attends will have a great time."

Coun Tracey Dixon, lead member for culture and wellbeing at South Tyneside Council, said: "This weekend's line-up is jam-packed with fantastic world-class entertainment.

"There will be something for everyone in the family to enjoy and I'm really looking forward to it."

Street performers and musicians from countries such as Australia, Canada, France and Spain will make North Tyneside and South Tyneside their home for the weekend.

The mix of entertainment on show includes acrobatics, contortion and dance to giant street walkers, magicians and even a digital funfair.

Music comes from 90's hitmakers Dodgy, Teddy Thompson and local favourites like The Caffrey Brothers, The Little Comets and The Baghdaddies. Some of the bands playing over the same weekend at the Whitley Bay International Jazz Festival will also be in attendance.

A full programme of entertainment is available from Tourist Information Centres or visit www.mouthofthetynefestival.com.

The Tyne Tunnel will be closed throughout the weekend. However, organisers are confident that the tunnel closure will not have a big impact on the festival.