ORGANISERS of Oxfordshire’s newest music festival have announced the line-up for this year’s event as it doubles in size.

Wilderness festival was staged for the first time at Cornbury Park, near Charlbury, last summer.

But while many music festivals have suffered economic hardship – including the long-standing Truck festival, in Steventon, and Harvest, held at Blur guitarist Alex James’s farm in Kingham – Wilderness sold out and will this year increase its capacity from 6,000 to 10,000.

Acts booked to play at the festival, on the edge of the Wychwood Forest, include psychedelic rockers Spiritualized, American alternative-rock band Wilco, Latin guitar duo Rodrigo & Gabriela, and Oxford folk-pop stars Stornoway.

They will be joined by the likes of Grant Lee Buffalo, Lianne Le Havas, Cloud Control, Field Music and Jenny O.

Away from music, there will be talks and lectures by speakers from Oxford University Astrophysics Department, The Royal Observatory, Granta and The Idler, comedy from Robin Ince and Adam Buxton and drama by actors from The Old Vic.

Food is also a major part of the festival, with banquets and demonstrations by such luminaries as Valentine Warner, Fergus Henderson and Yotam Otoolenghi.

There will also be workshops, classes, horse riding and foraging trips into the woods, children’s activities and a lakeside spa with open-air hot tubs.

The festival is hosted by Lord and Lady Rotherwick, who live at Cornbury House. Lady Rotherwick said: “We are very excited by the line-up, which looks fantastic. I’m particularly looking forward to Rodrigo & Gabriella. You can’t listen to them without a smile on your face. Last year’s event was sensational, but this year’s is going to be even better. They are creating something which is not just about music, but is a celebration of arts in the English countryside.”

Creative director Jo Vidler said: “Last year’s Wilderness surprised a lot of people, but festival-goers are ready for this kind of event.”

See the website wildernessfestival.com