THOUSANDS of music fans have descended on a north Oxfordshire village for a weekend of folk and fun.

An estimated 20,000 people have arrived on site at the annual Fairport Cropredy Convention, which started yesterday.

Folk rock legends Fairport Convention, who organise the festival, headline the event, which began yesterday, and draws to a close tomorrow night.

They will be joined by a host of special guests, including folk star Yusuf Islam – the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens – who will be playing material from his new album.

Yusuf’s appearance follows last year's surprise slot by Led Zepellin frontman Robert Plant, alongside former Fairport members.

Steve Winwood and Buzzcocks headlined last night, while Seth Lakeman and former Fairport member Richard Thompson are the big draws tonight.

The popular three-day festival has been staged in the village by Fairport Convention since the 1980s. Many of the band’s members live in the area.

Gary Honours, 36, of Upper Heyford, near Bicester, has been coming to the festival for more than 25 years. He is camping with his wife, Sherlain, and children Keziah, Noah and Saffron.

He said: “I have been coming since I was a lad and I still look forward to it.

“I think it is all down to the atmosphere. We go to to a lot of festivals and this one definitely has the best buzz. “It’s very friendly.”

He added: “I’m really looking forward to seeing Richard Thompson, but the whole line-up looks good.”

The festival’s roots go back to the mid-1970s when two Fairport Convention members Dave Pegg and Dave Swarbrick moved to Cropredy.

Charity gigs in the village led to a one-day reunion concert, which in turn developed into the annual event.

By the 1990s audience figures had hit five figures, and the festival has continued to grow ever since.

Gareth Williams, one of the organisers, said: “Everything is going very smoothly indeed.

“We have had no traffic problems, the sun is out and the music sounds brilliant.

“We are really pleased with the line-up this year – it is a great mix. To have Yusuf Islam on the bill is fantastic for the festival – he is a musical legend.”

He added: “People love the festival and keep coming back every year. They must just really like what we do here.”