Wickham Festival in full swing

But the Wickham festival has seen music lovers descend in their thousands to see the likes of Dexys, 10CC and The South.

Crowds soaked up the sunshine, entertained by street performers and dance displays on the first two days of the four-day family festival.

Highlights so far have included Celtic folk rockers The Waterboys, who took to the main stage last night with a set list that included songs from their album An Appointment with Mr Yeats, released in 2011, which puts classic poems to music.

The South took the crowds by storm on Thursday, performing their best loved hits including Rotterdam, Perfect 10 and Don’t Marry Her and tracks from their new album, Sweet Refrains. The band was relaunched in 2008 by former Beautiful South members Dave Hemingway, Alison Wheeler and Dave Stead and six new members after frontman Paul Heaton left.

Headlining were Kevin Rowland and Dexys, who performed chart topping hits Come on Eileen and Geno from their days as Dexy’s Midnight Runners, during a set list that mostly included songs from their latest album, One Day I’m Going to Soar.

And there’s even more to come. Tonight folk singer Seth Lakeman plays, while acoustic roots duo Show of Hands and singer songwriter Martyn Joseph also perform.

The festival closes tomorrow with an eclectic line-up that includes Rolf Harris, Scottish folk sensation The Peatbog Faeries and ex-Dr Feelgood member Wilko Johnson, who has cancer, playing a farewell performance before The Blockheads take to the stage.

Buy tickets, either online or on the gate. Day tickets are £50 for adults and £25 for children under 16. Evening tickets are £30 for adults and £15 for children under 16. Under 10s go free. For more information see wickhamfestival.co.uk.