A local one-of-a-kind festival for witches returns next month - featuring a unique celebration for the coronation of King Charles III.

The Festival of Witches and Pagans, which first launched in 2021, has become one of the biggest of its kind in the UK and is now held twice a year in the Midlands due to its huge success.

The festival, which attracts people from across the UK, returns on May 6 and 7 this year - coinciding with the weekend of the King's coronation.

While the King is head of the Church of England, organisers of the festival have dedicated a section of the weekend's programme of events to celebrating the monarch with a special ritual of Friendship and Family in the event's Main Arena on the Sunday to mark the Coronation.

Organiser Julie Aspinall, who came up with the idea for the festival in 2021, said: "We may not have Christian beliefs, but we celebrate the head of state and want to send our well-wishes to King Charles III, hence joining in the nation marking this historic occasion."

The Festival of Witches and Pagans is held at the Heart of England Conference Centre in Fillongley near Coventry. Initially held to raise awareness and remove some of the taboo surrounding witchcraft and paganism, the family-friendly event attracts thousands of experienced witches, beginners and other festival-goers.

The festival, which attracts people from across the UK, returns on May 6 and 7 this year (image supplied)

The May 2023 event will include a busier-than-ever programme of workshops and rituals, including incense-making, spellcraft and wand decorating as well as woodland walks, Viking re-enactments, yoga, and feasts, plus food and drink and fun activities for the whole family.

There is also a Witches' Ball, feast nights and a Viking battle, as well as family-focused entertainment and workshops and a shopping village packed with everything from furniture to cloaks, mead and more.

Originally organised by Coventry-based Coven of Gaia, the event is now organised with help from several other covens from around the country who all work together to bring the festival back time and time again.

Julie added: "The festival has become a firm fixture in people's diaries - whether they want to come and gather with like-minded people, or families and friends who just want to enjoy a weekend at an alternative festival. We can't wait to welcome everyone back for what is undoubtedly going to be a weekend to remember."

For more information on the Festival For Pagans and Witches, visit the website.