Line-up announced for Beautiful Days 2021

The line-up for this year's Beautiful Days Festival has just been announced.

There are more than 50 artists, including headliners Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls, James and festival founders Levellers.

The festival also has a seated theatre tent, walkabout performances, site art installations, an array of food and crafts stalls and real ale bars run by local brewers Otter Brewery. The 2021 theme is still to be announced.

95% of tickets have already been sold,with the last few tickets available here.

Organisers are working hard to plan a full capacity festival following Step 4 of the Government's roadmap, which is due to allow large events to take place without restrictions.

Organiser David Farrow from DMF Music said: "Our industry was one the first to close and is one of the last on the path to re-opening safely, but we are getting there and it's so important – the arts are needed now more than ever.

"We can't wait to open the gates to Beautiful Days 2021. Our festival-goers are ready to come back to the fields and so are we."

The headline acts for Beautiful Days 2021

Beautiful Days welcomes back Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls to headline the Main Stage on Friday night. Over the course of a career spanning more than 20 years, Frank has sold more than a million records and played to more than two million people - arguably one of Britain's hardest working musicians.

Topping the bill on Saturday night are James, who return after headlining Beautiful Days in 2016. Since their breakthrough single in 1991, Sit Down, James have released 15 studio albums, selling over 25 million copies in the process. They've announced the release of their new studio album 'All The Colours Of You' on 4th June with new single 'Recover' out now.

Festival founders Levellers will close the event on the Sunday night. The band released new studio album 'Peace' in Summer 2020 which entered the UK Official Album Charts at #8 - the band's highest charting entry since 1997's Mouth to Mouth. Levellers will also open the festival weekend with their traditional acoustic set in The Big Top.

Other main stage bands

Also announced for the Main Stage is icon and pioneer of electronic music Gary Numan, plus New Model Army who celebrated their 40th anniversary last year, Irish singer-songwriter Imelda May, one of the UK's most formidable live acts Skindred, the Balkan ska punk extravaganza that is Dubioza Kolektiv, punk-rock, blues and country band Alabama 3 and From The Jam led by bassist/singer and original Jam member Bruce Foxton.

Plus festival favourites Dreadzone, high-energy dub outfit Gentleman's Dub Club, Mexican ska-rock band Los De Abajo, British reggae band The Skints, Irish powerhouse Damien Dempsey, cosmic four-piece Henge, Leeds alt-rock band Pulled Apart By Horses, garage-punk band Avalanche Party, breakthrough Hebridean sensation Peat & Diesel, indie-pop foursome Lottery Winners and Wild Front.

The Big Top second stage

Topping the bill on the festival's second stage - The Big Top – on Friday night are the legendary Hawkwind. With founder Dave Brock still at the helm, the band recently celebrated their 50th anniversary.

Saturday night welcomes The Lakeman Family Gathering – an exclusive performance featuring musician Geoff Lakeman with sons Sean, Sam and Seth plus Cara Dillon and Kathryn Roberts performing all together for the first time ever. Sunday night headliners are Van der Graaf Generator featuring Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton and Guy Evans - the three surviving members of the original group formed in 1968. Darker and wilder than most of their contemporaries, VdGG were known for sprawling, dense and complex songs on six albums recorded for the Charisma label between 1969 and 1976.

Also announced for The Big Top are London punk-pop four-piece The Big Moon, folk stalwarts Show Of Hands, folk-punk band Ferocious Dog who release their new album 'Hope' this Autumn, infectious folk-gypsy outfit Mad Dog Mcrea, Bristol's The Longest Johns - the men behind the viral sea shanty trend with their track Wellerman, plus rock meets Americana with Ginger Wildheart & The Sinners, Welsh harpist Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita and bluegrass collaborative Watkins Family Hour featuring Nickel Creek founder member Sara Watkins.

Rev Hammer & Nick Harper will play a special acoustic set, 3 Daft Monkeys return to continue their 20th anniversary celebrations, folk-punk band Sons Of Clogger, Irish singer-songwriter Amy Montgomery, singer-songwriter Katherine Priddy, punk band Headsticks and festival friends The Bar-Steward Sons Of Val Doonican's Sunday Service with special guests.

The first acts announced for The Little Big Top are The Orb, Mungo's Hi Fi, Youth, Adrian Sherwood, Eva Lazarus, Altern-8, Shades Of Rhythm (Live), Slipmatt, 2 Bad Mice, Mark XTC, The Moody Boys and family rave Big Fish Little Fish.

And in the Theatre Tent....

The seated Theatre Tent will play host to theatre, comedy and dance with shows including the circus that is like no other - Circus Of Horrors, plus the super talented quadruple that is 4 Poofs & A Piano (known for being the house band BBC One chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross) and performances from The Rubbish Shakespeare Company, Morgan & West, The Black Eagles, John Udry, Dan The Hat, Jack Dean Company and Entertainingly Different.