A RIOT of rock 'n' roll, reptiles and a Rainbow Rebellion celebrated the shining spirit of a beloved teenager.

An estimated 500 people joined the second annual Dylanfest in Wantage on Saturday, honouring the life of Dylan Edwards.

Bands rocked the playing fields at King Alfred's Academy East Site from midday, and when it started raining, festival organisers from Dylan's old youth club, the Sweatbox, moved the entire stage indoors.

The day also saw the official unveiling of an enormous, town-wide Rainbow Rebellion art project, for which more than 20 groups created brightly-coloured boards of artwork, then brought them together in a procession to create a moving spectral spectacle.

There was also food and drink, sumo suit wrestling and live reptiles from Wantage's Lenny's Lizards pet shop.

Dylan's mum Annette, who helped organise the festival for a second year, said: "It was superb – really brilliant.

"The rainbow was wonderful, we had lots of contributors and it was so impressive."

As well as giving people of all ages in Wantage an excuse to cut loose, the festival also aims to raise awareness for wellbeing and mental health, especially showing youngsters where to get help.

Dylan, who lived with his family in Larkdown near East Site, took his own life at home in October 2015 at the age of 15 after suffering from stress and anxiety.

This year's festival included a cosy Danish-inspired 'hygge' tent with a specialist LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) youth worker, writing therapy and representatives from Wantage Counselling Service.

The event once again had a stall from the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, which raises awareness of depression, and this year's guest speaker was mental health campaigner and blogger Jonny Benjamin MBE.

Mrs Edwards added: "He gave the most heartfelt and inspiring talk about his own journey: there were tears, and it was very insightful."

Even the headline band, Greyhaven, from London, champion mental health awareness and talked about Dylan on stage.

The band almost didn't get to play at all after the heavens opened late on Saturday afternoon, forcing festivities inside the Sweatbox and the school.

But youth club manager Georgina Hicks and her volunteers moved the entire stage indoors while veteran club member Eloise Rees kept the crowd entertained.

Mrs Hicks said: "We moved all the gear from the stage into the main hall just for the last two bands, Greyhaven and the DJ Cloud Twelve, and he was quite the sight to behold.

"We had a massive dance party with giant balloons being batted around the hall.

"The whole day was brilliant and I was really pleased to see so many young people, an awful lot more than last year. I think a really good time was had by all."

The day also raised funds for the Sweatbox, but Mrs Hicks said she was still tallying up the total.

Mrs Edwards and Dylan's dad Matthew said a 'massive thank you' to everyone involved who helped remember Dylan with 'so much love'.

By the time next year's festival rolls around, King Alfred's will have sold East Site off and opened a new Sweatbox on Centre Site in the town centre.

Mrs Hicks said she wasn't sure exactly how the third Dylanfest might look, but she pledged there would be an event of some kind.