A NEW Winter Festival is set for Dunfermline next month.

The event is the brainchild of former Edinburgh Fringe director Paul Gudgin, who lives in Dunfermline, and will see jazz, carols, classical music and a singing and dancing spectacular brought to leading venues in Dunfermline.

Fire Station Creative, the Glen Pavilion, Dunfermline Abbey and the Alhambra will all host events for the spectacular, which will see around 270 performers take part.

Mr Gudgin admitted the development of the Dunfermline Winter Festival was something of a surprise.

“The original intention was never to create a new festival but after conversations with musicians and venues, it was clear there’s a huge pent-up demand to make new things happen after almost two years where creative projects have been stifled so the Winter Festival was born," he said.

“The response has been excellent so far, there is genuine enthusiasm to get involved and create something special to end a difficult year.

"We have great venues in Dunfermline and with the energy and momentum we are experiencing, there is no reason why the Dunfermline Winter Festival could not become a popular and permanent cultural highlight.”

The event kicks-off with 'A Jazzy Christmas' where leading Scottish jazz musicians will be performing jazz standards and classic Christmas tunes in Fire Station Creative. This is followed by 'It’s the Most Wonderful Time', a singing and dancing spectacular in the Glen Pavilion featuring the Razz Big Band, performers from Limelight Musical Theatre and guest soloists.

Dunfermline Abbey will host an all-day Carol Marathon on the last Saturday before Christmas and Fire Station Creative will be an atmospheric venue for Carols by Candlelight in the week before Christmas.

A new choir, the Alhambra Centenary Chorus, has been formed to kick-off the venue’s centenary year with Handel’s popular Messiah on January 2, and the festival will close on January 5 with a panel discussion about Dunfermline’s creative achievements and development called Dunfermline’s New Year (Cultural) resolution.

Full details of the event and tickets can be found at www.dunfermlinewinterfestival.com.