TICKETS for the 70th World Pipe Band Championships go on sale on Tuesday with prices held at 2016 levels.

The event will be held on Glasgow Green On August 11 and 12 with Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band from Northern Ireland defending the title it won last year. The band has been World Champions five times in the last six years.

This year, the Worlds as they are known, will be part of the celebrations for Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.

In recent years, over 225 bands have travelled to Glasgow from all over the world, bringing around 8000 pipers and drummers to compete in eight grades for the world title

Ian Embelton, chief executive of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, said: “The World Pipe Band Championships has developed throughout its history but at its core, the challenge to pipe bands is still the same.

“They spend months rehearsing for their shot at the World Title, all the time searching for the perfect performance that will show off their full talent as a band.

“A day out at the Worlds is to experience a unique showcase of Scottish culture but also to enjoy musicianship and teamwork of extraordinary quality. There is nothing quite like it.”

Tickets for the event and full information will be available at www.theworlds.co.uk with discounts on some tickets for people buying in advance.

Pipe band fans can also buy tickets by calling 0141 353 8000 and in person at the royal Concert Hall box office.

As well as the best pipe bands in the world, the event also hosts Highland Games, Highland dancing and a showcase of Scottish food and drink.

Paul Bush, VisitScotland director of events, said: “The World Pipe Band Championships are a wonderful spectacle attracting the best pipers and drummers from around the world.

“Scotland is the perfect stage for piping events given their central role in our culture and it is wonderful to be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Worlds in Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.”

Piping Live! is the biggest festival of its kind in the world and the week-long celebrations will see over 200 events take place in various venues across the city from August 7 to 13.

This year it will feature acts from Estonia, Argentina, Canada, the Czech Republic, Australia and Italy.

Tickets go on sale on Tuesday at Piping Live!