SOME of the biggest names in music and books headline this July for the 50th Harrogate Festival.

Named the “North of England’s leading arts festival” by The Times, this July the spa town will experience a month-long explosion of music and literature, celebrating a landmark year.

In honour of Harrogate International Festivals’ heritage celebrating the finest classical musicians, 2015 welcomes back legend living Alfred Brendel, who first appeared at the festival in 1974.

Its guest curator is Julian Lloyd Webber, who began his career at the festivals as a young musician. As well as a special “Evening with”, he’ll be developing the young musicians series.

The theme of 2015 – A Sense of Place – draws on Harrogate’s reputation as a truly international arts festival.

Artist in Residence, Saleem Ashkar, will show how the power of classical music is bridging divides between Arab and Jewish communities in Israel with the Polyphony Foundation. The Italian Quartet, Quartetton Di Cremona perform The Italian Journey and Mahan Esfahani is creating a special programme for the festivals using his instrument – the harpsichord – as a focus.

Residents and tourists to the town can expect pop-up performances from the Harrogate Festival Orchestra, with free events across the town, featuring the music created in Harrogate from the composers Finzi and Farrar.

Proving its clout for attracting world-class jazz, man of the moment Gregory Porter headlines, following the likes of Wynton Marsalis in 2014.

This year’s orchestral programme includes the magnificent Flanders Symphony Orchestra. The John Wilson Orchestra, will open the festival in style, featuring the music of Cole Porter, and Psycho Live! will bring orchestral music into the movie experience.

As well as the rich legacy of music, Harrogate International Festivals has put the spa town on the literary map.

The Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival hits its stride from July 2-5, at the Crown Hotel.

Guests include Labour MPs Dennis Skinner and Alan Johnson, former Newsnight journalist Gavin Esler, and Sam Delaney will give insight into his new book Mad Men and Bad Men – a hugely entertaining behind-the-scenes tour of the election campaigns of the last four decades.

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan return. Also confirmed are musicians Noddy Holder of Slade and Tracey Thorn of Everything But the Girl, comedian Dom Joly, Countrywise presenter Paul Heiney, and Bill Oddie.

Heavyweights from the world of fiction include Sadie Jones, whose novel The Outcast is being screened on the BBC this year, bestselling author of Chocolat, Joanne Harris and the writer of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres, who will be in conversation with broadcaster, Mark Lawson.

Guardian beauty guru Sali Hughes will also take to the stage, as well as kitchen pottery maker, Emma Bridgewater. There’ll also be an event with Robert Douglas-Fairhurst to celebrate his book on Lewis Carroll and the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland.

Robert Sackville West will speak about his family history that rivals the best in costume drama and ties in with a new life of Vita Sackville West coming out this year, and Theodore Zeldin will explore our relationships to tell us more about how we can find the Hidden Pleasures of Life.

Also headlining are Ultimo lingerie founder Michelle Mone and political economist Will Hutton on his new book How Good We Can Be.

The festival also hosts Europe’s biggest celebration of the crime genre, The Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, hosted in July at the Old Swan Hotel.

Special guests in 2015 include author of the much-loved Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth books, M C Beaton in conversation with fellow Scot, comedian and presenter, Fred MacAulay.

From overseas, Icelandic crime sensation Arnaldur Indridason features, alongside the American author and New York Times bestseller, Sara Paretsky.

Actor David Morrissey and author Mark Billingham also star, alongside giant of the genre, Lee Child.

It is ranked as one of the top three literary festivals in the UK by The Guardian, and featured in The Independent’s The 50 Best Festivals.

The full programme will be announced mid-March. Tickets for all events on sale mid-March. Visit harrogateinternationalfestivals.com or call the box office on 01423 562303.