Plans are well under way for this year's Norwich City of Ale Festival – with organisers confident it can be even bigger and better than the previous three.

Around 50 pubs are expected to take part this year and they will be supplied by 36 local breweries from Norfolk and Suffolk showcasing a variety of new beers.

Now in its fourth year, the festival will run from May 22 to June 1, and Dawn Leeder, co-chair of the event, said: 'It is early days but preparations are going very well. We are still compiling a list of VIP guests and are currently in the process of finalising lots of events to take place around the city during the festival.'

On efforts being made to improve the festival, Mrs Leeder added: 'We want to get women more involved. Drinking ale is not just for men in baggy jumpers and we have worked hard this year to broaden our appeal. There will be a number of female specific events.

'We are giving more attention to promoting the festival too. A generous £11,000 grant from Norwich BID is being used to take advertisements out in 20 regional magazines, which will target real-ale lovers.

'With a combined circulation of 345,000 these magazines should help generate national interest. We are using Twitter and Facebook extensively to establish more of an online presence too.'

Stefan Gurney, executive director of Norwich Business Improvement District, said: 'The festival helps the leisure sector to increase customer and visitor numbers, whilst growing the overall vibrancy of the city as a destination and keeping Norwich as the nationally-recognised first City of Ale.'

A launch party will take place at the Dragon Hall, King Street, on May 22. Top beer writer Roger Protz has been confirmed as attending.

In the days leading up to the festival a printed programme will be available free around the city centre, and will include the pubs, brewers and beers involved and a map.

Mrs Leeder added: 'Norwich has a vibrant brewing heritage which should rightly be celebrated. We were able to estimate that last year 57,000 pints were pulled, enough to fill a small swimming pool, which is a nice thought, and we hope to go one better this year.'