BOURNEMOUTH is revving up for another adrenaline-fuelled Wheels Festival in June.

Now in its third year, the largely free event has attracted 800,000 visitors since it began.

This year, it will take place between Friday, June 3, and Sunday, June 5.

Highlights from last year’s festival will be returning including the monster truck arena on Bournemouth beach, which will be expanding this year to allow the trucks to perform their power demonstrations side by side. Fans will again get the chance to take a ride in the monster trucks themselves.

Bournemouth Echo:

The Mayor of Bournemouth Cllr John Adams and mayoress Suzi have a go on one of the quad bikes appearing at Bournemouth Wheels Festival 2016

There is also again set to be a packed schedule of breathtaking BMX and skateboard stunts. Matt Coulter, aka the Kangaroo Kid, will be bouncing back into Bournemouth on his quad bike for a second year.

New for 2016 will be the UK Quad Bike Beach Cross Championships, which will see top quad bikers from all over Europe competing on Boscombe West Beach.

The Two Brothers Stunt Team will be performing mind-boggling motorbike tricks at the festival for the first time.

East Overcliff Drive will be transformed once again into a demonstration straight, where thrill-seekers can watch historic F1 cars, supercars, racing cars, motorbikes and karts race by. Last year’s pop-up arenas will showcase precision driving displays, motorbike stunts, karting and lawn mower racing.

Bournemouth Echo:

(L-R) Gordon Clendinning, Paul Swift and Mark Thornton

Precision driver Paul Swift has been asked back to the festival, and this year he and his team have been developing some classic Minis to show off in the style of the Italian Job.

“We’ll call it 'The Seaside Job’,” Paul joked, adding: “We’ve been restoring the red, white and blue Minis over the winter and we want to get them out and seen and put on a show with them.

“My background’s always been with Minis. I started competing at the age of 16 with classic Minis, and my father was British champion in the 80s using a classic Mini so it’s quite a big part of our lives.

“To bring them out now and perform in public with them is fantastic, and I’ll be joined by a couple of other drivers who’ve worked with the Top Gear team over the years.”

Visitors will have the chance to ogle classic motors and high-end super cars, as well as explore military vehicles and discover the latest models from leading car manufacturers in two paddocks at East Overcliff Drive and Boscombe beach.

On Bournemouth seafront, families will get to enjoy a funfair, a live music stage and food and drink stalls. In addition, this year’s festival will extend into the town square where there will also be a display of pre-war and vintage cars.

Bournemouth Echo:

(L-R) Bournemouth Town Centre BID manager Steve Hughes, Chairman of Bournemouth Coastal BID Paul Clarke, Bournemouth Wheels Festival Director Jon Weaver, Mayor of Bournemouth Cllr John Adams and mayoress Suzi

Richard Grafton, programme director for Bournemouth Wheels Festival, said: “We’ve got a most amazing backdrop here in Bournemouth with the beach, clifftop road and the town centre. We can do something very special here.”

Southbourne staged its own Wheels event last year and will be doing something similar again this year with supercars on display, performances from stunt teams and live music.

Bournemouth Coastal Bid and Bournemouth Town Centre Bid are festival partners.