THE son of a reggae legend, celebrated rappers and some hip hop favourites will all appear on the bill at this year’s Boomtown Fair.

Joining previously announced 2 Tone ska legends The Specials are hip hop pioneers Cypress Hill, world infused London rapper M.I.A., multi award winning Arrested Development, rock star Frank Turner, reggae superstar Toots and the Maytals and 90s legends Chaka Demus & Pliers.

Revellers can enjoy the sounds from cult classic film with The Original Blues Brothers Band and Winchester folk troubadour Frank Turner will make an appearance alongside Bob Marley’s eldest son and founding member of the Melody Makers Ziggy Marley and folk-rock act Newton Faulkner.

The 60,000 capacity Hampshire festival is the biggest immersive music and theatrical festival in the world. Organisers have now announced more than 160 artists spanning a huge variety of genres, including reggae, folk, jazz, world, dub, dancehall, ska, house, techno, garage and a whole lot more...

The world’s biggest reggae stage, the Lion’s Den, will again host some of the largest names in reggae, dancehall and hip hop. Long coveted ska legends The Specials lead the line up, alongside multi-platinum progenitors Cypress Hill and the unique sounds of M.I.A. blending world music with hip hop for an electrically conscious set.

Returning to Boomtown for the first time since 2010, Toots & The Maytals will be bringing Jamaican spirit to the Lion’s Den stage and the debut appearance by Ziggy Marley sees him following in the footsteps of many of his family members by making the Lion’s Den his home.

The Town Centre Stage pulls in genre leaders from across all the main stages into one melting-pot; Arrested Development’s alternative hip hop will again be welcome back, while there will be sunny Californian ska punk from Sublime with Rome and chest thumping gospel and uplifting singalong tunes from The Original Blues Brothers Band.

Widely viewed as the originators of hip hop and delighting fans with their rapping for over three decades, The Sugarhill Gang & Furious 5 will bring their own unique sound. Electronic dancehall infused metal band Skindred are set to whip the crowd into a frenzy, while Reel Big Fish will be throwing back some iconic ska-punk.

The first announcement covers just a selection of the acts that can be found on eight of Boomtown’s 25 main stages. Full district announcements are still to come.

Boomtown Fair takes place at Matterley Bowl near Winchester from August 10-13.Tickets are on sale now from boomtownfair.co.uk