BRITAIN'S only festival dedicated to the music of Bob Dylan will be held in an intimate south Manchester bar next month.

The three-day event will welcome devotees and musicians from around the world, particularly Ireland, who will perform tracks from the living legend’s back catalogue.

This year, the festival, at M19 bar in Levenshulme on August bank holiday weekend, has teamed up with its counterpart in Moville, County Donegal, Ireland, and many of the acts will perform at both festivals.

Organiser James Hennigan, from promoter Acousticfest, said: "Bob Dylan has always had a massive connection with Irish artists. He was heavily influenced by the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem.

"It is well documented about how Dylan used to hang out in the Irish pub The White Horse in New York, where the Clancys played and he took the tunes of the Clancy songs which were old Irish songs and put in his own words.

"We had a lot of visitors from Ireland last year and are expecting even more this year."

The festival kicks off on Friday, August 28, with a special Irish night, which features Shake the Barley, Bernadette O’Grady, Reckless Elbow, Tina McKevitt and Matt Hegarty, Mickey the Hat, Peter Aldridge and Andy Keeble.

On the Saturday, the festival will celebrate Dylan’s Blues influences, with performances by Bullfrog Brown, Oyana and the Sun Collective, Shimeon, Glyn Bailey & the Splendid Things and other acts.

Country is Sunday’s theme, headlined by Jersey Budd who recently appeared at Glastonbury and has been on tour with Kasabian. Other acts include Heroes of She, Chris Selman, Bobhowla and Laney Murphy and the Hybrids.

Mickey the Hat said: "I had a great time last year and I am really looking forward to appearing in both of these festivals this year."

Acousticfest, which takes over M19 Bar for acoustic showcases, is gaining a reputation for putting on one of the UK premier nights for such music with acts coming from as far away at Australia to play the south Manchester venue.