SKA legends Madness are set to headline this year's Boomtown Fair this summer.

Organisers have announced the first batch of headline artists for the genre-spanning festival at Matterley Estate, Winchester Thursday August 11- Sunday August 14.

And they have revealed three headliners who they say "have been at the top of the BoomTown wish list since day one and represent the musical foundations of the trailblazing independent festival: UK ska powerhouse Madness, reggae royalty Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley and New Zealand 7-piece dub specialists Fat Freddy’s Drop."

Over the four-day event, 50,000 citizens will descend on the Matterley Estate, amid a theatrical narrative of revolution, across nine individually themed city districts with a soundtrack covering all bases of the musical spectrum.

Joining Madness in the Town Centre will be Fun Lovin’ Criminals with their fusion of hip-hop, funk and punk, British electronic luminaries Leftfield and festival outlaws the Levellers delivering their political brand of folk-rock. Back by popular demand are 2-tone ska heroes Bad Manners and California ska-punk legends Mad Caddies, keeping energy levels high alongside 10-piece French ska rockers Babylon Circus, Austrian electro-swing pioneer Parov Stelar and the superhuman mouth-driven music of Beardyman.

The Lion’s Den has cemented its reputation as the UK’s biggest reggae stage, and its Chapter 8 lineup features a suitably all-star cast of reggae, dub and dancehall VIPs. Alongside Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley and Fat Freddy’s Drop will be another of BoomTown’s most requested acts and one of the first ladies of dancehall, Tanya Stephens. Straight out of Jamaica will be prominent reggae artists and committed Rastafarian vocalists Junior Kelly and Tarrus Riley, plus Inner Circle and Morgan Heritage, iconic bands whose sounds resonate as strongly in 2016 as they have throughout their extensive careers.

The Old Mines stage will showcase the best in folk, world and roots music, headed up by the unique rockabilly-blues sounds of Irish vocalist Imelda May, UK folk favourite and 2005 Mercury Music Prize nominee Seth Lakeman and one of the most respected world fusion bands, Afro Celt Soundsystem. Reunited nine-piece Catalan collective Ojos de Brujo will bring their hip-hop tinged take on flamenco, and off the back of a number of sold out shows across the UK and Europe, US group Nahko And Medicine For The People bring their alchemy of folk, reggae and hip-hop.

Tickets are on sale now. Keep up-to-date with all BoomTown news via Facebook and Twitter or sign up to the BoomTown Chronicles via the website.

www.boomtownfair.co.uk