THOUSANDS of people combined their love of food and music at the fifth annual Big Feastival.
Record numbers attended the three-day event, which is organised by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and hosted by rock star Alex James at his Oxfordshire farm near Kingham.
Weekend tickets sold out a fortnight ahead of its opening, with attendance numbers thought to have reached nearly 20,000 people each day.
Headline acts included sets by Groove Armada, Dizzee Rascal and Paloma Faith.
There were also chefs giving demonstrations, including Raymond Blanc, who owns Le Manoir in Great Milton, James Lowe, Natasha Corrett and MasterChef judge Monica Gelatti.
Top News
For families, a new addition was the vintage funfair and there was a sumptuous range of culinary delights to satisfy foodies.
The event has also become known for attracting famous faces, with model Kate Moss, Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh and her husband Stephen Manderson, known as the rapper Professor Green, Britain’s Got Talent presenter Amanda Holden and former F1 racing driver David Coulthard all spotted this year.
Jamie Oliver and Alex James thank the crowd
It has previously attracted Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha, Bond girl Naomie Harris and TV star Anthea Turner.
For those not used to the more rugged aspects of festival life, there was also a Glamping Village with boutique accommodation, even featuring 24-hour concierge service and a bar.
DJ Norman Jay MBE performing on Friday night
Former Blur bassist Mr James said: “It’s been the biggest, best, brightest and most brilliant yet.”
Mr James, 46, enjoyed the weekend with his children, Mo, 11, Artie, nine, Gally, nine, Fable, seven, Beatrix, five.
His family was joined at their farmhouse home by Mr Oliver and his children, Poppy, 13, Daisy, 12, Petal, five, Buddy, four.
The celebrity chef added: “It’s the ultimate fun weekend.”
These children have a dance on some bales of hay
The sun shone for punters on Saturday, with the day finishing with well-received sets from Grandmaster Flash, Example and Dizzee Rascal.
Even though there were downpours yesterday, the rain didn’t dampen spirits as people embraced the festival spirit and donned wellies and ponchos to brave the rain.
Ella Eyre performs on the main stage at the Big Festival
The closing night’s performances were given by Roots Manuva, The Feeling, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Paloma Faith.
Digital marketing apprentice Tom Silberberg, from Swindon, said his personal highlight was the set by Grandmaster Flash on Saturday night.
He said: “It’s been an awesome weekend for music and the food has also been great. The Doom Bar [ale] tent gets ten out of ten from me.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here