Sophie Ellis-Bextor to headline free festival

Pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor has been announced as a headline act at a free-to-attend festival in Essex.

The Murder on the Dancefloor singer will take to the stage at the Harlow Town Show on 29 August.

Performances from other acts have also been planned on nights either side of Ellis-Bextor's.

Dan Swords, the Conservative leader of Harlow Council, said he was "delighted" with how the event was shaping up.

"This is just the beginning - we're committed to returning the Town Show to its place as one of the standout events in the region," he added.

With a musical career that spans more than 25 years, Ellis-Bextor has achieved five top 10 albums.

Her most famous hits include Take Me Home and Get Over You.

Harlow Town Show was held between the 1960s and 1980s, before a brief revival in the 2000s, and once attracted tens of thousands of guests.

Swords said he was committed to bringing it back to the annual calendar "bigger and better than ever".

More acts and activities are due to be announced for the event.

They will perform on the the town's bandstand, which is being rebuilt after an arson attack in September.

However, the first act to perform on the bandstand will be the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra on 4 July.

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