A HOST of top acts are set to perform at this year’s Fringe by the Sea – the 10th anniversary of the festival.

KT Tunstall will open the festival, held in North Berwick, on August 7, while there will also be performances from Eric Bibb, the American blues guitarist, and comedian Elaine C Smith.

The Chris Barber Big Band is another act confirmed as taking part in the week-long extravaganza.

And John Shaw, one of the organisers, was delighted to have big names confirmed for the long-running event, which attracts thousands of people to the town.

He told the Courier: “We have always tried to bring a little of everything to the festival – but to have KT Tunstall at one extreme and Chris Barber at the other is very exciting.

“Both are internationally renowned and supremely entertaining.”

And proceedings will, as has become tradition, be wrapped up by a tribute night on August 13, with Dirty Harry and the Springsteen Sessions set to take to the stage.

Two nights of the festival have also been set aside for comedy performances.

Organisers told the Courier that “some big names are promised”.

Meanwhile, a series of top films – including a pre-release showing of Tommy’s Honour, the story of Scottish golfing legends Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, which saw filming take place in East Lothian – will also entertain festival-goers.

Mr Shaw added: “We never thought 10 years ago that Fringe by the Sea would still be going in 2017, never mind expanding in size and welcoming over 8,500 people to it.”

North Berwick Drama Circle is also putting on theatre performances, while there will be a full children’s programme once more.Organisers insist they are working to finalise details, with little over 10 weeks until the festival gets under way.

See the festival’s website, fringebythesea.co.uk