MUSICAL headliners Tom Odell and Izzy Bizu will join literary luminaries and comedy legends for the festival dubbed the UK's most inspiring this weekend.

Curious Arts Festival, which offers a glittering array of the cultural, creative and curious, arrives at Pylewell Park near Lymington in the heart of the New Forest today.

From life drawing, midnight bat walks and cocktail masterclasses to snail racing, poetry workshops, pop-up fine dining and even a cricket match, expect comedy, music, literature and a packed children’s programme from the fourth outing of Hampshire's quirkiest festival.

As well as the best of UK singer songwriter talent, headlined by Brit award-winning Tom Odell and Brit Critics Choice Award winner Izzy Bizu, hear sets from Ibibio Sound Machine, electro-soul act Seramic, Brighton talent Martha Gunn and notorious A&R man turned novelist, John Niven who will be taking to the stage with his new band featuring some extraordinary special guests.

Local legend and festival-favourite John Illsley, founding member and bass guitarist of Dire Straits, is a late addition to the line-up, performing as a guest vocalist with the London Whoredogs tomorrow. Mark Knopfler and John are the only founding members of Dire Straits to remain in the line up from 1977-1995 during which time they sold over 120 million albums. The landlord of a pub close to Pylewell Park, he also has four solo albums and two live albums to his credit since then.

Comedy comes from Mock The Week’s Ed Byrne, Radio 4 regular Simon Evans, Paul Tonkinson, children’s favourite Howard Read, lightning-quick sketch group The Noise Next Door, Nat Luurtsema, Charlie Baker George Egg and Ivo Graham.

On the literature programme, expect an unparalleled list of this years’ most talked about and awarded authors including legendary writer, film-maker and publisher Dave Eggers, bestseller Joanna Trollope, award winning journalist Lynn Barber and sex columnist and professional dominatrix Nichi Hodgson.

Young festival-goers can enjoy a Jabberwocky Hunt, comedy from Howard Read, Breath of Life Puppetry workshops, and Ella Berthoud will be offering Story Cures for children and their families, plus there's plenty of events for budding writers and photographers.

The festival runs until Sunday at the ancestral home of The Hon David and Melanie Roper-Curzon.

Tickets are on sale at curiousartsfestival.com.