Queen tribute act The Bohemians play to the crowd on the King Staithe Square in King's Lynn, during the Festival Too concert in celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Picture: Matthew Usher.

The sound of rock band Queen’s greatest hits echoed around King’s Lynn tonight to kick start Norfolk’s biggest free pop festival and help the town commemorate the British monarch’s Diamond Jubilee.

The evening had started with a performance from local band The Yesterdays at 7.30pm before Queen tribute act The Bohemians took to the King Staithe Square stage to help launch Festival Too, which is being sponsored by the EDP this year.

The night sky over the West Norfolk town also came to life with the lighting of a Jubilee beacon and a huge fireworks display at 10.30pm. The launch of Festival Too was brought forward by a month to coincide with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Alan Taylor, one of the festival organisers, was delighted by the size of the crowd attending last night’s event despite other Jubilee-themed events nearby and the Diamond Jubilee concert on TV.

He added: “The festival is celebrating its 27th year and continues to grow and get better every year. This year’s line up is very special indeed.”

He added: “Our thanks must go to our sponsors because without them we wouldn’t have a festival at all.”

The festival’s weekend gigs which will see more than 50,000 people from across Norfolk and beyond pack in the Tuesday Market Place will take place on July 6 and 7 and July 13 and 14.

Pigeon Detectives, The Brand New Heavies and X Factor favourite Marcus Collins are among the big names set to perform at King’s Lynn’s Festival Too this year.

Chart-toppers Soul II Soul, best known for their hit Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) and punk, ska and reggae band The Selecter are also on the bill.

Admission to all the gigs is free with sponsorship from local businesses and bucket collections helping to cover the cost of staging the event.

Last year chart-topping band The Feeling, energetic rock band The Hoosiers and pop starlet Sophie Ellis-Bextor starred at Festival Too.

Atomic Kitten, Toyah Willcox, Deacon Blue, The Stranglers, Bad Manners, The Human League and 10cc have headlined at previous events.

Mr Taylor said the concerts often attracted people from across the UK and even overseas.

“Some people from Japan booked their holiday around the festival so they could come and see Midge Ure,” he added.

“We also had someone from Finland come over to see Beverley Knight - the festival really puts King’s Lynn on the map.”

Festival Too started in 1985 with the aim of providing free entertainment to the people and visitors of West Norfolk and is now one of Europe’s biggest free festivals. Find out more at www.festivaltoo.co.uk.