Chester will host this year's World Town Crier Tournament, bringing together 25 town criers from across eight nations for a week-long public event in September.

It will be the first time the city has staged the competition since 2014, with entrants travelling from the UK, Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States.

The event will feature three dedicated competition days, placing Chester in the international spotlight.

Dating back to 1554, Chester's town crier tradition is understood to be the only UK city maintaining a daily town crier proclamation during the peak summer season.

The tournament will be staged across three city-centre locations.

Day one at Town Hall Square will feature "Hometown Cry" performances, judged on vocal strength, confidence, presentation and audience engagement, with additional awards for best-dressed participants.

Day two at Eastgate Square continues with a second themed round, with scores kept confidential until the final results.

The event concludes on day three at Exchange Square, where combined scores will determine the overall champion alongside a Best Ambassador award.

advertisement

Chester has previously hosted the tournament in 2001, 2004, 2010 and 2014.

The city's town criers, David and Julie Mitchell, deliver civic welcomes in 15 languages and perform regular proclamations across the city centre between June and September.

"Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Chester is thrilled to be hosting the World Town Crier Tournament again," David said.

"It's a fantastic opportunity to showcase our great city and region not just in the UK but the entire planet. Julie and I can't wait to see what talent is out there, and see who really is the best when it comes to town criers."

The event has been supported by £50,000 from Airbnb's Best of British Fund, delivered in partnership with VisitBritain. The funding forms part of wider efforts to strengthen tourism and celebrate the UK's most distinctive cultural traditions.

The initiative is being led locally by Marketing Cheshire.