Winchester's leading musicians top festival bill (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Winchester's leading musicians top festival bill

4:50pm Tuesday 15th February 2011 in Leisure By Warwick Payne

TWO of the biggest names on the Hampshire music scene are topping the bill at this year’s Blissfields Festival at Bradley near Alresford.

Frank Turner will headline the Saturday night, and former Razorlight drummer, Andy Burrows, now with I Am Arrows, will also be there.

The two Winchester performers will be joined on the bill by several other acts from the city including Polly and the Billets Doux.

Other Hampshire bands on the schedule include Six Nation State, who will headline the curtain-raising show on Thursday evening.

This year, the three-day festival is leaving its ancestral home of the Bliss family farm and moving to a slightly larger site nearby.

Previously named as Britain’s best small festival, the entertainment will run from Thursday, June 30 to Sunday, July 3.

Capacity for this year’s event, which has a sci-fi theme entitled ‘Out of This World’, has been set at 2,200.

Acts already confirmed include Chris T-T, Subgiant, Dub Pistols, Beans on Toast, Gold Panda, Imperial Leisure and Gary Bennetton.

And new for 2011 will be the ‘Blisscotheque’ dance area, which will feature several upcoming Hampshire DJs.

Some extra acts from the county are also expected to join the line-up thanks to the upcoming Road to Blissfields contest.

Several more names are due to be added to the bill, including the Friday night headline act, which is still under wraps.

In previous years the festival has welcomed such acts as Mumford and Sons, Laura Marling, Mystery Jets, Super Furry Animals and Stereo MCs.

Early Bird tickets for Blissfields sold out in less than 8 hours but general passes are now on sale at www.blissfields.co.uk.

Tickets cost £65 for an adult weekend pass with camping, or £42 for five to 13-year-olds, while under-fives go free.