A FOUR-DAY festival featuring a controversial Burgerfest celebration marking the 70th anniversary of twinning links between Oxford and Bonn will start tomorrow.

The Bonn Week 70th anniversary celebrations will run until Sunday.

Burgerfest, a traditional German festival featuring food stalls and performances from visiting German cultural groups will take place on Saturday afternoon and are a central part of the celebrations.

In February it emerged that Broad Street-based Balliol College had requested that Burgerfest should not go ahead because the date falls within a 'red zone', a protocol designed to ensure that students revising for exams are not disturbed.

But following talks between councillors, council officers and college staff, issues surrounding noise and access were resolved and Burgerfest, from 12 noon to 4pm, is to go ahead.

Colin Cook, vice-chairman of the Oxford International Links committee, said: "Burgerfest will be going ahead on Saturday as part of a full programme of events to celebrate Oxford's twinning link with Bonn.

"In the end it turned out that one of the noisiest bands musically has been unable to attend so there shouldn't be any problems.

"The whole weekend will be a great opportunity for people in the city to celebrate Oxford's long-standing links with Bonn."

Also on Saturday the Oxford Philharmonic Celebrates Bonn 70 event will take place at the Sheldonian Theatre in Broad Street at 6.30pm.

May 27 is one of the dates in the 'red zone' when undergraduates are expected to have 'very heavy work levels'.

The protocol said events were not permitted in the 'red zone' unless special exemption was provided by the city council’s events officer and the Broad Street Stakeholders committee.

The committee includes representatives from the city and county councils, Oxford University and the Oxford colleges in and around Broad Street, Carfax ward councillors, Broad Street Traders Association and the Covered Market Traders Association.

Despite the protocol Burgerfest is to go ahead.

From tomorrow until Saturday a play by Arthur Schnitzler will be performed at the Burton Taylor Theatre in Beaumont Street at 7.30pm.

On Friday at Oxford Town Hall there will be an Oxford Bonn Economic Forum, from 8am to 10am.

It will include a discussion to explore opportunities for collaboration on economic development, including trade, science and technology, and tourism.

At 7.30pm on Friday Beethoven's Ninth Symphony will be performed at Oxford Town Hall, and the evening will feature 200 singers from Oxford and Bonn.

The Oxford-Bonn link was one of the earliest twinning links and part of the reconstruction of Europe after the Second World War.

The Bodleian Library in Broad Street is joining in with the celebrations on Saturday from 11am to 4pm.

There will be a special display of the Bodleian’s Beethoven collection, including original scores, sketches and autographed manuscripts.

For more information visit oxford.gov.uk/bonnweek2017