FESTIVAL-GOERS braved the weather and were eventually rewarded at the biggest ever Wood Festival over the weekend.

The eco-festival was sold out for the first time in its nine-year history and tickets for next year will be on sale later today.

Organiser Robin Bennett said due to constraints at the site - in Braziers Park, Ipsden - it won’t grow anymore in size and that it would be a ‘hot ticket’ for next year’s gathering.

The 1,500 adults and children that did get a ticket this time around enjoyed music from The Magic Numbers and CC Smugglers as well as more than 100 workshops on everything from pregnancy yoga to wool dyeing and Djembe drumming to solar energy.

He said: “It’s been really great, we started with some challenging weather but Sunday was sunny all day.

“The music has been fantastic, we had The Magic Numbers headline on Saturday, which everyone really enjoyed and they all came back the next day as well.”

Mr Bennett, who organises the festival with his brother Joe, said it was the first year it had sold out in its nine-year history.

He said: “We had 1,500 adults and children there - it’s been our most successful and best year definitely, the first time we had sold out.

“Due to the constraints of the site we won’t make it any bigger, any more people and it would be crowded.”

He added: “Tickets for next year will probably go on sale today - and it should be a pretty hot ticket already.”

Launched in 2008 the summer folk festival aims to run on 100 per cent renewable energy and provide a space for adults and children to explore nature.

The line-up, for its famous wooden, live grass and wild flower-roofed, stage has always focussed on locally-sourced acts, while pulling in a handful of bigger national and international names.

Over the years it has grown into a much-loved alternative to summer music festivals around the county and has now reached its maximum capacity.

The Truck Festival organiser said he was ‘proud’ the festival, which promotes nature, community and creativity, had grown a strong following.

He said: “People don’t mind braving the weather, we have a loyal group of people and it was great to see some new faces this year as well.

“They like what the festival stands for and also with more than 100 workshops they are really engaging and being a part of the festival.”

Tickets for next year’s Wood Festival , which will take place in May 2018, could be available as early as today at woodfestival.com