WITH three months to go until the irrepressible BoomTown Fair returns to Hampshire for four days and nights of mindblowing festivities and paradoxical parties, there are now less than 20 per cent of tickets left and the festival is looking to sell out quicker than ever.

Taking place from August 8 to 11 at Matterley Estate, Winchester, the festival presents the very best names in ska, dub, reggae and bass-heavy beats including; Toots and the Maytals, Ozomatli, Arrested Development, Mad Caddies and Parov Stelar Band. As well as over 300 acts, organisers have set up a multitude of distinct districts celebrating ye olde worlds, other worlds and make-believe worlds.

That’s not to mention a 15 metre flaming Aztec temple, five huge fully immersive street sets, the Magic Carpet Ride (Ski-Lift), moving robots, hidden woodland stages, beach parties, ziplines, waterslides, mutated vehicles, over 40 themed venues and the WITH a background in making theatre in unusual spaces, The Point’s new artistic director, Owen Calvert-Lyons, pictured, hopes to push the boundaries of contemporary performance at the Eastleigh venue even further.

Owen has recently taken up the role, which also covers The Berry Theatre in Hedge End.

Now with his feet firmly under the table he says he is looking forward to building on the reputation of The Point as one of the leading venues for contemporary performance in the south and promises lots of shows popping up in some surprising places.

“People are often unsure what ‘contemporary performance’ means. For me, it means bringing the most exciting new work that we can find, here to Eastleigh, so that people living in this borough and its surroundings can see performances which genuinely excite them.

“I want The Point to continue to lead the way by programming risk taking work and I want audiences to be excited about having a theatre in the middle of their town.”

Owen comes to Eastleigh from the Arcola Theatre in London where he was head of the award winning creative learning team.

world’s biggest metal spider.

For full details and tickets, visit boomtownfair.co.uk