As with many festivals, this one's growing and morphing every year, although Cheltenham marks its difference with a star-studded roster of guest directors that includes Simon Armitage (pictured), Sandi Toksvig, Rageh Omar and Jonathan Coe. They've overseen a programme of the literary, the political and the musical, so those who enjoy gaping at Tories can see Michael Gove, Ann Widdecombe and Douglas Hurd chatting about their love of John Buchan, with Chris Mullin and John Cooper Clarke offering a different political perspective; while crowds will no doubt be drawn to Mitchell And Webb, Judi Dench and Stephen Fry.

Various venues, Fri to 18 Oct, visit cheltenham festivals.com