VISITORS to a music, arts and lifestyle festival in Chepstow which starts today will be greeted by a 50-foot statue of a giant Celtic sea god.

The Sunrise Celebration Festival is currently taking place, for the first time in Wales.

To mark its new Celtic address at Piercefield Park organisers have put up the figure, known as Mannanan, an Irish sea God who in legend threw his magical cloak over the Isle of Man to protect it from prevailing wind and storms.

The solar-powered festival, which runs until June 1, features live music from a host of acts that includes The Correspondents, Will and the People and DJ Chris Tofu as well as a talk area, craft workshops and a healing area.

A childrens’ area includes circus shows, arts and crafts, a forest school and Victorian fairground.

Organiser, Kat Ritchie, said: “We’re very glad to have this friendly giant visiting us this year. He took two days to put up and right now he is standing at the head of the Severn estuary casting his gaze over the site. He is on loan to us from Mannifest, the Isle of Mann’s music festival”.