A CELEBRATION of the diverse and cosmopolitan culture of the North-East will be staged on Monday.

The Respect Festival, Celebrating Cultural Diversity -one of the region's largest free open-air events -will be held at Cliffe Park, Sunderland, from 11am to 7pm.

About 15,000 people will see entertainers and musicians from across the UK and the world.

The event is led by the Northern Trade Unions Congress (TUC), with support from leading trade unions, groups and organisations in the region.

There will also be national groups such as the Love Music Hate Racism foundation, which is providing much of the musical line-up, including the Dub Pistols and Genius GZA, as well as the Futureheads and Mavis.

Kevin Rowan, Northern TUC secretary, said: "The Respect Festival promises to be a fantastic and hopefully an inspiring day for all of those involved.

"We are delighted by the volume of support we have received already and hope that the whole of the region will continue to add to this on Bank Holiday Monday.

"This event is about celebrating cultural diversity and allowing people to experience a diverse range of music and entertainment while making a very positive stand against fascist/racist encroachment in our region."