A variety of events are planned for the two-week festival including open gardens, concerts, drama and a recreation of Henry VIII's coronation featuring Jeffrey Dench.

On Sunday, the Austin Healey Club will celebrate the car's 50th anniversary with a rally in the Market Place from 10am to 4pm.

Award-winning vocal ensemble The King's Singers will give the festival's opening concert at St Mary's church on Monday.

The all-male group will perform pieces from their new album Romance du Soir as well as revisit music from previous outings.

Jeremy Nicholas, actor, author and president of the Jerome K Jerome Society, will be adding a literary note to this year's event with his celebration of the writer's birth at the Lord Leycester Hospital on June 24.

His show, One Man on the Bummel will include extracts from the novels, including Three Men in a Boat, a detailed account of the life of the author and the history behind his stories.

Other highlights of this year's festival include a performance by BBC young musician of the year, cellist Natalie Clein, who will sing with Warwick's Armonico Consort on July 7.

A recreation of Henry VIII's coronation 500 years ago will be staged at St Mary's church on June 24.

Music by some of the greatest English composers of the time will be performed by Armonico Consort and narration will be provided by Royal Shakespeare actor Jeffrey Dench.

Oddsocks Productions return to Warwick Castle to stage Shakespeare's Richard III on June 27 and 28. And the castle will resound to the music of ABBA in a symphonic and rock spectacular on July 3.

Classical at the Castle will see the Welsh National Opera perform music from composers such as Puccini and Tchaikovsky on July 4.

For the full line-up and tickets call 0845 5120137 or visit www.warwickinternationalfestival.com