A south Oxfordshire farm is being transformed into a festival site for 6,000 music lovers this weekend.

Preparations are well in hand for the annual Truck Festival on Saturday and Sunday at Steventon, near Abingdon.

The event, one of Oxfordshire's best-loved outdoor gatherings, will play host to more than 50 bands and artists.

Among acts playing over the two days are American rock band The Lemonheads, Scottish pop act Camera Obscura, Warwickshire psychedelic rocker Sonic Boom, Oxford's Little Fish, early 90s rave act Alern8, Essex singer-songwriter Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, and Witney's up-and-coming Tristan & The Troubadours.

Joining them will be cult acts Maps, Noah & The Whale, Frank Turner, Fighting with Wire and local band Borderville.

Also playing are Danny & the Champions of the World, featuring organisers Robin and Joe Bennett and their musician sister KTB.

It will be the 11th Truck Festival, and Robin is predicting a vintage year. He said: "We are really excited about this."

"We have gone for a wide variety of bands and have a very diverse line-up."

He said the appeal of the festival was its ability to stage bands just before they become big - as well as good quality acts that are simply good fun.

"A band nobody has heard of can be just as good as one everyone knows.

"People, including us, come here and see bands they have never heard before - and go away loving them," said Robin.

Last year's event had to be cancelled at the last minute because the Hill Farm site was flooded.

Although some costs were recouped at the rescheduled September festival, and at an emergency benefit at Oxford Brookes University, the Bennetts are hoping this year's event will bring in much needed funds.

"It will help to put us on an even footing," said Robin. "Although there will be some tickets on the gate, we expect it to sell out."

  • Truck Festival takes place this weekend at Hill farm, Steventon.
  • Tickets cost £40 for a day, or £60 for the weekend if bought today, (£70 on the gate).
  • The Lemonheads headline a warm-up show at the Bullingdon, Cowley Road, tomorrow. Tickets are £10.