Solfest has arrived! What can you expect?

The family-friendly four-day programme of live acts and entertainment will take place at Tarnside Farms, near Aspatria, from today until Sunday.

What is Solfest?

One of Cumbria’s best-loved music and arts festivals, suitable for all ages and families.

Set in a beautiful location overlooking the Solway coast, featuring a wide variety of live bands, DJs, walk-about performers, theatre, art installations and kids’ activities.

Last year the festival, which started in 2003, bounced back on a smaller scale, having taken a one-year break.

With the weather on their side and a promising line-up, organisers hailed 2015 as one of the most successful and enjoyable Solfests to date.

Who can I expect to see?

The 2016 line-up is pulling out all the stops to impress festival-goers, with The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club, The Mouse Outfit, and Dreadzone headlining, and a Main Stage bill featuring Radical Dance Faction, Baka Beyond, Zion Train Riot Jazz, K.O.G & The Zongo Brigade, Inner Terrestrials, Sonny Wharton, King Bee, Resonators, Buffalo Brothers, Irration Steppas, The After Hours Quintet, Hallouminati and many many more.

Plenty of Cumbrian bands and artists feature on the bill, and there are no shortage of live acts to enjoy elsewhere over the weekend, with Fitty Gomash, Scogan’s Run, Bill Lloyd, Bag Of Spanners, Tantz, Baxter Rhodes & Friends, D’Bleedin’ Blaggards, Age Of Glass, Henge, Dohnut, Ring The Alarm, The Templebys, Dansi, The Hey Down Treaders, Rory Connor Band, Righteous Bees, Hardwicke Circus, Bad Transmission, and John Players Specials, among the 100-plus names confirmed.

Fun for young festival-goers

Festivals aren’t just for grown-ups. In fact, Solfest prides itself on being a family-oriented festival. This year’s jungle-themed area promises to be a wealth of fun activities, workshops and entertainment.

There will be more activities aimed at the teenagers too. Housed in and around the Trailer Trash Youth Club Tent will be beatbox and rapping workshops delivered by members of The Fire Beneath the Sea, as well as spray painting graffiti workshops by Kingsyze Graffiti.

The Lady Bird Project will return with a fun-packed programme of workshops, activities, games, buffoonery and performances for the whole family to enjoy.

There will also be a Marooned Jungle Island Pirate Day, Intergalactic Jungles and Carnival Jungle Animals Day.

Feeling peckish?

An array of new food vendors arrive at Solfest 2016, bringing a wealth of culinary and gourmet delights to tantalise and tempt your tastebuds.

There will be a fine choice of world food for you whether you fancy African, Indian, Italian, British Classics or Mediterranean.

There will be award-winning vegetarian and vegan foods as well as meaty treats. Quality coffee, fresh fruit smoothies and soft drinks are also available.

How do I get there?

If you are travelling by car or campervan, head for Aspatria on the A596. Once there you need to turn onto the B5301 heading towards Silloth.

Solfest is located approximately four miles up this road. There will be signs to guide you in.

Solfest operates a free shuttle bus service that runs over the weekend until Monday between Aspatria train station and the Solfest site.

On Saturday and Sunday there are also shopping trips to Aspatria and Silloth and back again.

The bus runs all weekend so if you find you’ve forgotten something or just want to see the local area, you can take the short journey into either town to see what they have to offer.

Parking is available, but once parked the festival requests that you do not move your vehicle except in emergency.

If you think you will need to leave the site in your vehicle during the festival, Solfest recommends that you set up camp then park your car in the “day parking” area, located near the main gate.

Essentials

The campsites are open already and the main festival arena will open at noon today.

Take cash as there are no cash machines on site.

At the request of the landowner, pets are not permitted for safety reasons.

Some tickets may be available on the gate. For guaranteed entry, buy your tickets online at

THE ever popular Cumbrian music and arts event Solfest returns this bank holiday weekend and is set to be as exciting as ever.

The family-friendly four-day programme of live acts and entertainment will take place at Tarnside Farms, near Aspatria, from today until Sunday.

What is Solfest?

One of Cumbria’s best-loved music and arts festivals, suitable for all ages and families.

Set in a beautiful location overlooking the Solway coast, featuring a wide variety of live bands, DJs, walk-about performers, theatre, art installations and kids’ activities.

Last year the festival, which started in 2003, bounced back on a smaller scale, having taken a one-year break.

With the weather on their side and a promising line-up, organisers hailed 2015 as one of the most successful and enjoyable Solfests to date.

Who can I expect to see?

The 2016 line-up is pulling out all the stops to impress festival-goers, with The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club, The Mouse Outfit, and Dreadzone headlining, and a Main Stage bill featuring Radical Dance Faction, Baka Beyond, Zion Train Riot Jazz, K.O.G & The Zongo Brigade, Inner Terrestrials, Sonny Wharton, King Bee, Resonators, Buffalo Brothers, Irration Steppas, The After Hours Quintet, Hallouminati and many many more.

Plenty of Cumbrian bands and artists feature on the bill, and there are no shortage of live acts to enjoy elsewhere over the weekend, with Fitty Gomash, Scogan’s Run, Bill Lloyd, Bag Of Spanners, Tantz, Baxter Rhodes & Friends, D’Bleedin’ Blaggards, Age Of Glass, Henge, Dohnut, Ring The Alarm, The Templebys, Dansi, The Hey Down Treaders, Rory Connor Band, Righteous Bees, Hardwicke Circus, Bad Transmission, and John Players Specials, among the 100-plus names confirmed.

Fun for young festival-goers

Festivals aren’t just for grown-ups. In fact, Solfest prides itself on being a family-oriented festival. This year’s jungle-themed area promises to be a wealth of fun activities, workshops and entertainment.

There will be more activities aimed at the teenagers too. Housed in and around the Trailer Trash Youth Club Tent will be beatbox and rapping workshops delivered by members of The Fire Beneath the Sea, as well as spray painting graffiti workshops by Kingsyze Graffiti.

The Lady Bird Project will return with a fun-packed programme of workshops, activities, games, buffoonery and performances for the whole family to enjoy.

There will also be a Marooned Jungle Island Pirate Day, Intergalactic Jungles and Carnival Jungle Animals Day.

Feeling peckish?

An array of new food vendors arrive at Solfest 2016, bringing a wealth of culinary and gourmet delights to tantalise and tempt your tastebuds.

There will be a fine choice of world food for you whether you fancy African, Indian, Italian, British classics or Mediterranean.

There will be award-winning vegetarian and vegan foods as well as meaty treats. Quality coffee, fresh fruit smoothies and soft drinks are also available.

How do I get there?

If you are travelling by car or campervan, head for Aspatria on the A596. Once there you need to turn onto the B5301 heading towards Silloth.

Solfest is located approximately four miles up this road. There will be signs to guide you in.

Solfest operates a free shuttle bus service that runs over the weekend until Monday between Aspatria train station and the Solfest site.

On Saturday and Sunday there are also shopping trips to Aspatria and Silloth and back again.

The bus runs all weekend so if you find you’ve forgotten something or just want to see the local area, you can take the short journey into either town to see what they have to offer.

Parking is available, but once parked the festival requests that you do not move your vehicle except in emergency.

If you think you will need to leave the site in your vehicle during the festival, Solfest recommends that you set up camp then park your car in the “day parking” area, located near the main gate.

Essentials

The campsites are open already and the main festival arena will open at noon today.

Take cash as there are no cash machines on site.

At the request of the landowner, pets are not permitted for safety reasons.

Some tickets may be available on the gate. For guaranteed entry, buy your tickets online at www.solfest.org.uk