FOR the first time since it was built, Banbury town hall will open on a Sunday for music and dancing - for the town's annual folk festival Ceilidh sessions.

The festival, which begins on Friday, October 13, and runs for three days, will occupy three main venues - The Mill, General Foods Social Club, and the town hall.

Music and dancing in the town hall has not been allowed until now, but the folk festival organisers have persuaded the authorities to break with tradition.

The event's main organiser, Derek Droscher, said: "This year we have a full Ceilidh programme at the historic Banbury Town Hall, including for the first time since it was built, a Sunday Ceilidh. It should be a day to remember."

The festival will be a weekend of main concerts, acoustic sessions, Ceilidhs, Morris dancing, workshops, folk theatre, French dance, singing, and music.

Top of the bill will be 2006 BBC Radio 2 Folk award winners Flook-Spiers and Boden.

Mr Droscher said: "The duo have graduated from being the dangerous new kids on the block to a solid headlining mainstay on the folk scene. The lads now increasingly focus on delivering a big, thumping night out with showmanship, humour, and raw stomping energy.

The festival's full programme will be: FRIDAY - Bushbury Mountain Daredevils, Steamchicken, Ember, The Backroom Boys, Cave, Patti Smith and Ned Clamp, Sophie Polhill and Phil Thurman, Danansooz, Linda Watkins, Sarah and Kathryn Tindall, Ceridwen Davies, One String Loose, Dave Trivett and Ed Frost, Kevin O'Regan, Dave and Sandy.

SATURDAY - Flook, Spiers and Boden, Peter Knight, Tom Leary and Friends, Peeping Tom, Anthony John Clarke, Pamela Morgan, The Boxhedge Clippers, Keith Donnelly, Bonzo and Doris, Ember, Patti Smith and Ned Clamp, John Morris, GMW (Giles, Metcalfe & Woods), Moulin Bleu, Copper Kettle, Alhambra, The Harvesters, Cappella, Carter Chapman, The Backroom Boys. Alie Byrne and Steve Robinson, Gilly Hewitt, Cobwebs (Malcolm Speake, Chris Lowe and Ron Plant), Dave and Ann Reader, Bill McKinnon, Alan Whitbread, Nick Lines, Harvest Moon, One String Loose, Steve and Maggie Robinson, Dave Bennett and Brenda Hart, Crispin Bartlett and friends, Dave and Eve Race, Kate Saffin (Roundham Lock Theatre), Raf Oya, Ches Gibbons, Peter and Fran Braybrook.

Other Saturday events include a craft and trade fair, acoustic caf, Middle Bar Singers on tour, morris dancing, singing boat trips.

SUNDAY - Little Johnny England, Anthony John Clarke, Pamela Morgan, Cave, Alhambra, Cappella, The Old Mettle Dance Band, Alie Byrne and Steve Robinson, Bill McKinnon, The Tindall Family, The Stout Shifters, Blue Coyotes, The Rogues, Rachael Gittus Band ,Doyle Academy of Irish Dancers.