A NEW online music festival is launching in Swindon later this year to showcase the town's talent.

The Swindon Summer Music Festival will be held from midday on Saturday July 4 and continue on Sunday, with performances live-streamed on the event's Facebook page.

All of the acts will be local bands and artists to be announced at a later date. Proceeds will be split between the The British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK.

A spokesman said: “We are delighted to announce the first Swindon Summer Music Festival which will be streamed live on our Facebook page this July.

“The coronavirus pandemic has been an extremely difficult period for many of us and we want to put the smiles back on peoples’ faces with a bit of festival fun. Britain is famous for its summer music festivals and we see no reason why Swindon can’t have its own mini festival this year while respecting the social distancing rules.

“There are so many talented acts in Swindon and Wiltshire and we want to make sure they get their voices heard during this difficult period. We also want to make sure that the charities we have selected get the support they need to continue the wonderful work they do.”

Anyone who would like to perform should contact the event's Facebook page.