The Cromer and Sheringham Crab and Lobster Festival is on its way – and tickets for the opening concert are now on sale.

With numerous events, this year's festival offers plenty of fun for all the family across the weekend of May 17 and 18.

The event will kick off the coming holiday season with an opening concert on Cromer Pier on Friday May 16.

Cromer Pier regular Olly Day will be hosting the concert, which will feature music from the Sheringham Shantymen, French folk group La Grosse Erreur and comedy by Nigel 'Boy' Syer.

Local sea shanty group the Sheringham Shantymen have, over 20 years, developed their own style of performing songs of the sea.

They will be performing with French shanty group La Grosse Erreur.

Olly Day is firmly established as one of East Anglia's finest performers.

Comedian Nigel 'Boy' Syer uses daft poetry, hilarious stories and an uncanny ability for acting the fool on stage to get a laugh.

This year Olly and Nigel will present their new fishermen act to delight festival audiences.

Tickets are £7.50 and are now available from the Pavilion Theatre box office on 01263 512495.

The festival weekend will continue in Cromer on Saturday May 17 and in Sheringham on Sunday May 18.

Highlights include the Bootiful Boat Art Trail, cookery theatre with live demonstrations, a feast of seafood, local heritage and seafaring crafts.

It will also feature competitions, music, film, and a new seafood paella night.

Festival chairman Tony Shipp said: 'In 2013 the Festival achieved enormous successes. Over 20,000 people enjoyed the weekend and thousands more followed the art and seafood trails – it is hoped this year's festival, with an expanded programme of free events will achieve the same success and bring more and more people to this fabulous area.'

The festival will kick off their events this year on Good Friday with the launch of the Bootiful Boat Art Trail and Scrumptious Seafood Trail.

Leaflets for these will be available across the two towns from April 18.

For more information visit www.crabandlobsterfestival.co.uk.

This year's festival is sponsored by East of England Co-op and the 2014 event will be its fifth year.

To have a chance of winning a pair of tickets to the concert buy a copy of this week's North Norfolk News.