Final rehearsals are under way for this weekend's Faenol Festival bringing three nights of top-flight entertainment to north Wales.

The event - the brainchild of opera star north Wales's opera star Bryn Terfel - will unfold in the grounds of the Faenol estate in Caernarfon.

Terfel joins McCutcheon on stage

It kicks off on Friday night with performances from Grammy award-winning American soprano Ren�e Fleming, the Welsh National Opera, Mr Terfel himself and David Shannon.

On a more popular note, Welsh bands Estella and Y Tebot Piws will headline Saturday night's pop and rock line-up.

On Sunday soap actresses-turned West End stars Claire Sweeney, who starred in Chicago, and Martine McCutcheon who played the lead role in My Fair Lady, will join Trefel and Shannon to perform songs from the shows.

More than 20 live rock, soul, show, solo acts and choirs from around Wales and Merseyside are also due to appear at this year's show.

Organisers of the event picked up the Greatest Show in Wales title at the 2002 Wales Tourism Awards Ceremony.

The venue has a capacity for 30,000

It began life as a charity fundraiser for the Ty Gobaith Hospice Appeal after Terfel, who is from nearby Pantglas, Gwynedd, decided he wanted to give something back to his community.

Bryn Terfel said he was "deeply honoured" to receive the award after only two years of the festival's existence.

"I have long waited to bring top-class entertainers to perform near my home in Gwynedd," he said.

"It has been very heart-warming to see how well it has been received," he added.

Ticket sales are reported to be going well and organisers expect more than 20,000 visitors over the three days.