International recording artist Heather Nova will perform in tribute to her uncle Jeremy Frith as part of the Bermuda Festival.

Ms Nova, along with Christina Frith, will join Kim Dismont Robinson, Patrika Ferguson, Nick Hutchings, Debbie Lombardo and others for The Uniquely Bermudian Musings of Jeremy Frith and Friends.

The show will highlight the work of Mr Frith, a celebrated Bermudian poet and musician who died in 2009.

Mr Frith received acclaim for his 1996 collection Oh Gawd, I Vish Dis Ig’rance Vud Stop!, which featured a range of poetry and verse about life on the island, largely written in Bermudian vernacular.

David Skinner, executive director of the festival, said the tribute had been in the works for a while with the Frith family interested in playing a role.

“His family wanted to get involved, but the question was who was going to do what,” Mr Skinner said. “Heather stepped forward as he meant a lot to her.

“I know that there will be other members of the family in the audience.”

The 2018 Bermuda Festival starts on Saturday, with a range of local and international artists on offer and a mix of musical and theatrical performances.

“I am hard pressed to point out just one highlight,” Mr Skinner said. “There are a lot of highlights.

“I think one of the big things about this year’s festival is the high level of Bermudian involvement.

“It’s something that has been increasing over the years, but this year we are really happy with the number of talented Bermudians involved.”

In addition to the tribute to Jeremy Frith, which will feature a range of Bermudian performers and artists, Mr Skinner said several young artists and groups would be competing this Saturday on the festival stage.

The festival will include performances by the Cann Sisters, the Bermuda Pipe Band and the Wall Street Band.

“We really want to build on that year after year,” he said. “We need to encourage our young artists and we will continue to expand on our youth outreach because there are some wonderfully talented young people in this country. There are just not enough opportunities for them to be showcased.”

However, he warned that some performances had already sold out, and others were rapidly approaching that point.

“We are definitely encouraging people not to wait if they want to see a show,” he said.

“There are still some very good seats available for some of the shows, but don’t wait until the last minute or you might not be able to enjoy what you want to see.”

The Uniquely Bermudian Musings of Jeremy Frith and Friends will be held in Earl Cameron Theatre in City Hall on January 31.

The show begins at 7.30pm, with tickets available online at ptix.bermudafestival.org.