PERFORMANCES will be hosted in living rooms, beach huts, cafes, parks and pubs in Brighton Fringe’s most extensive programme to date.

This year, there will be 970 events across 155 venues.

Fringe hub the Brighton Spiegeltent will take its traditional place on the Old Steine but there are new features too.

Creative showcase Fringe City, previously held in the North Laine every weekend during May, will also take place on Thursdays and Fridays this year.

This includes two family picnics on May 6 and 27, part of the Fringe’s youth programme which contains more than 100 shows.

Also new for 2017 on May 8 is the Fringe City Charity Day, which will host the finish of the mayor’s Brighton to Paris charity cycle ride as well as live performances.

Ten of the festival’s shows have been selected as standouts and will receive extra promotion and support from the Fringe throughout the festival.

The shows include Focus Group on May 7, a production inspired by the life and work of cult American author David Foster Wallace, and Shell Shock from May 5-7, adapted from a novel by Iraq veteran Neil Watkin and supported by the Sussex Armed Forces Network and Help for Heroes.

The play stars promising young Sussex actor Tom Page.

Julian Caddy, managing director of Brighton Fringe, said: “I’m delighted to see that Brighton Fringe is larger than ever but it’s important to understand why, and why it’s relevant to you.

“The arts should be open to everyone, not an exclusive preserve of the few, so the open-access platform that Brighton Fringe provides is a vital support for what is a universal means of self- expression.

“We are a small local charity that works year round to help people to produce creative work.

“But in the end it’s about having a good time. Whatever you’re into, you are likely to find it at Brighton Fringe. It’s your festival.”

  • Brighton Fringe runs from May 5 to June 4. Tickets go on sale to Friends of Brighton Fringe at 10am today and on general sale from March 3. Visit brightonfringe.org to book.