THREE days of free music, street theatre and family entertainment planned for the bank holiday weekend could become an annual fixture in the Durham events calendar.

The first D3 Festival, which will be held in Millennium Place and the adjoining Walkergate complex from Saturday to Monday, aims to provide a variety of entertainment for all ages and tastes.

The event is being organised by Durham firm She's Gott It - which has been given the contract to produce Christmas celebrations in Edinburgh - Durham City Council and the city's 20/20 Vision.

Durham City Vision events co-ordinator Kate James said: "We are really pleased with the way the festival has come together this year.

"The Vision team is delighted to be both promoting local talent and bringing international acts of the highest calibre to the city.

"Along with the rest of the D3 partners, we hope to make this an annual fixture in the Durham calendar.''

On Saturday, between 11am and 4pm, there will be an international buskers' festival, featuring some performers fresh from appearing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Among the attractions will be comedy juggler Great Scott, The Mighty Gareth, who specialises in fire-eating, chainsaw juggling and magic, the Dream State Circus, who will perform machete juggling and acrobatics, rope-walker Kwabana Lindsay and comedy magic from James James.

Throughout the day there will also be a giant Wii game for fans of computer games.

On Sunday, between noon and 5pm, music will be played from two stages by regional performers.

The line-up features melodic rock band The Caffreys, rhythm and blues outfit The Lounge Lizards, jazz combo Jazz Girl - who perform in the bar at the Gala Theatre on Saturday afternoons - and good-time blues band No Time For Jive.

On Monday, between 11am and 4pm, there will be street theatre, balloon modelling and stiltwalking, as well as breakdance workshops and performances by UK breakdancing champions The Bad Taste Crew.

Walkergate, home to a string of bars and pubs, will be opened at noon by the city's deputy mayor, Councillor Grenville Holland.