The festival season is here again - and thousands of gig-goers will turn up the volume on Carlisle's summer of music this weekend.

Stars UB40 and Olly Murs are gearing up to entertain the crowds at Carlisle United's Brunton Park stadium tonight (FRI) and tomorrow.

The city is also anticipating the arrival of Little Mix and Bryan Adams in the coming weeks.

The concerts cement Carlisle's status as a go-to gig city with massive names such as Tom Jones, Rod Stewart and The Stone Roses also making appearances over the last year.

With the football season over, Brunton Park's pristine pitch is busy being transformed into a top concert venue, which will be home to the roars of music fans rather than football supporters over the next 48 hours.

The gigs not only provide top music for Carlisle - but also offer a huge boost for the city's bars and hotels.

After the concerts, punters will be spilling out of the ground and into the city centre to sample its nightlife.

Walkabout, in Botchergate, will be holding two after-parties to capitalise on the arrival of Olly and UB40.

Staff will be giving out free Olly Murs masks to the first 100 people through the door for their pop party.

While tonight they're holding a reggae-themed bash with a pop-up bar and two-for-one pina coladas.

Leah Shearer, the bar's marketing manager, said: "It was an opportunity for us to put on something a little bit different for the people coming into Carlisle that will attract people that have already been to the concert.

"It's the start of summer and these parties will be really summery.

"We expect to be really busy and we will be handing out fliers along Warwick Road to encourage people to come in.

"It's all so exciting, there's a real knock-on effect from these kind of things."

Many guesthouses near the ground say they are full both evenings.

"We are always choc-a-block when there's anything like this on," Adele Forster, the owner of Cornerways Guest House, said.

"My phone has never stopped and I could fill it out half a dozen times over.

"It's fantastic revenue for the city's guesthouses."

Caron Archibald, owner of the Warwick Lodge, added: "The more people that come into Carlisle and the more it's on the map the better.

"A lot of people have maybe passed Carlisle on the motorway but haven't come in, but when they do they see how nice it is.

"When they come here, even just for one day, they'll decide to come back, which all helps."

Anne Quilter, Carlisle City Council's portfolio holder for culture, heritage and leisure, said: "It's really good that the city is starting to attract bigger acts than we've ever had and selling out performances.

"It does have an impact on the visitor economy, footfall and the spending in shops, bars and restaurants, people are coming in and having a great time.

"These type of gigs really put us on the map. When I was growing up we never had the likes of Elton John, Bryan Adam and Rod Stewart come here.

"In the past we had to go to Newcastle, Glasgow or Manchester and pay to stay over. Now people are coming to Carlisle and it's great for our economy."

She added: "But it is also important that the city invests in local events like Milecastle and Upperby Gala. There's a real good mix in the city now."

There will be a road closure on Warwick Road in place for the Olly Murs concert on Saturday, from 10.30pm to 11.30pm to allow for safe exit from the stadium.