TWO Newport business owners are keen to make the most out of the Nato summit by hosting live music events for the city's visitors.

Dave Went, owner of the Ivy Bush, in Clarence Place, is planning to extend his opening hours to accommodate protestors on Thursday, September 4 and is also holding a number of music events this weekend and next.

Mr Went said: "I just can't see there being that much trouble with them [the protestors], well I hope not for the sake of Newport. I think everybody's got a right to have a say about whatever they want to have a say about. A lot of people are tarring them with the same brush."

Mr Went , who believes the summit will have a positive impact on Newport, added: "The more people coming into Newport the better, let's put Newport on the map again. Newport should be a massive tourist trap."

The Ivy Bush will be opening at 10am on Thursday, September 4 before protestors are due to meet at the Cenotaph, in Clarence Place at noon to march on the Celtic Manor.

Mr Went added that there will be live bands and DJs on Friday and Saturday, August 29 and 30 and each night from Thursday, September 4 to Saturday, September 6.

He said "anybody pro or anti-Nato is welcome."

Club and bar owner Iftekhar Haris will be using the opportunity of the Nato summit to raise funds for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (RCRF).

He said: "I'm not getting into the politics of who's right and who's wrong but my opinion is that no children should go through what the children are going through there.

"To coincide with the end of the Nato summit, we're holding a Jammin' for Peace event on Friday, September 5. We've got several Reggae and Rn'B artists and a Bob Marley tribute.

"The idea behind it is that it is always the children and women who suffer the most in any war zone."

The event will be held at Warehouse 54 from 9pm with all donations going to the PCRF, a non-political, non-profit organisation.

Mr Haris will also be raising awareness of the situation in Gaza by taking part in the rubble bucket challenge, a variation of the social media craze where people pour freezing cold water on themselves to raise money for charity.

The rubble bucket version, started by Palestinian journalist Ayman al Aloul, uses rubble instead of water to highlight the shortage of the resource in war zones.

Mr Haris will be taking part in the challenge on Friday, August 29 at the Meze Lounge in Newport at midday.

A further fundraising event for the PCRF will be taking place on Sunday, September 21 where DJs will play at The Courtyard for 24 hours straight.