A FESTIVAL inspired by the late Bury comic legend Victoria Wood is set to put plenty of smiles on faces this weekend.

Promoters of 'Happy' have lined up a packed programme, with several free events taking place in and around Bury today, before the proceedings moves wholesale to Burrs Country Park tomorrow.

Bury Art Museum is hosting an exhibition by top photographer Andy Hollingworth, inspired by the comic's archive. He will also give a ticketed talk from 10.30am.

This will run alongside a retrospective of the Happy festival in May by Huckleberry Films as part of a fan day extravaganza, featuring Hands Up Who's Happy, a short piece by Steve Cooper, songs from Doolally and Hannah Brackenbury and a question and answer session staged by Jasper Rees, author of the star's biography, Let's Do It, from 3.30pm.

The writer will be joined by two of the comic's musical directors, David Firman and Nigel Lilley, writer and performer Vikki Stone and Dr Peter Deakin, a lecturer in film studies at the University of Salford.

Later The Met sees a version of Whose Line Is It Anyway, with improv aces MESH (Met Express Super Heroes).

And all day long there will be a marquee in Library Gardens, next to the Victoria Wood statue, as musicians ALFA look to share their love of instruments, dancers Claire Fildes and Sophie Trueman bring new piece LuckyBagS, choreographed by Ruth Jones, before Hannah Brackenbury returns with her own Victoria Wood tribute from 4pm.

Meanwhile Cap & Dove, a mobile arts centre, will land in Bury Market, from 11am to 5pm, with a series of thought-provoking exhibits.

This evening the art museum is the venue for Notes on Notes on Camp, a reflection on light entertainment written and performed by Andrew Pollard and Jez Dolan with Tom Guest.

Tomorrow Happy moves to Burrs Country Park, to close the Burrs Live festival, the 10-day Town of Culture spectacular.

Some of the main stage highlights will include Britain's Got Talent funnyman Steve Royle, dinnerladies star Sue Devaney singing with the Happy House Band, Vikki Stene and Natasha Barnes' Funny Gals, with comedian Rachel Fairburn headlining from 9pm.

This will be interspersed with performances from ALFA and Joe Nelson, Hannah Brackenbury, the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band and Dolally.

Elsewhere the Happy festival marquee is home to ALFA workshops, a run-through of the Victoria Wood classic sketch At The Chippy, with Beth Allen, another outing for Steve Cooper's Hands Up Who's Happy, Jazz Club's cool vibes and later the Tickle Your Fancy cabaret.

Workshops involving Bury Creatives and Storybox, a second performance of LuckyBagS and The Roaming REPDAS Machine will promote their 'recycle tree' for families.

For tickets to events at the museum and Burrs Live, you can still contact the respective venues.