FOR most of the year Hill Farm is an attractive, if unremarkable, expanse of pasture and arable land.

But for one weekend a year, it hosts Oxfordshire’s best-loved showcase of new music – Truck Festival.

Up to 7,000 music lovers will tomorrow start arriving at the farm, on the edge of Steventon, near Didcot, for what organisers promise will be the biggest and best yet.

Truck – so called because the main stage is built around a flat bed truck – has always been an eclectic affair, and this, the 14th annual event, is no exception. It features 157 separate acts, including Radiohead’s Phil Selway, Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, indie-pop act St Etienne, hip hop dance act The Go! Team; singer-songwriter Edwyn Collins, Super Furry Animals star Gruff Rhys, and bombastic folk big band Bellowhead.

Joining them will be more Oxford talent in the shape of The Young Knives, the Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, The Rock of Travolta, Dive Dive, Jonquil, Long Insiders, Fixers and dozens more.

Joe Bennett, who stages the event with his brother Robin, said: “This is going to be the best ever Truck festival by miles. I always say that, but it’s always true.”

The two brothers will appear on stage with their band Dreaming Spires and in the traditional series of collaborations.

“I am looking forward to joining in,” says Joe. “And I hope to play at least five times, if I’m invited.”

The event will culminate on Sunday night with an all-star rendition of the classic Fleetwood Mac album Rumours, with musicians who have appeared throughout the day joining to present their own favourites.

As well as music, there will be cabaret, comedy, children’s entertainment, and, for the first time, drama presented by the Oxford Playhouse.

Festival-goers will also find a remodelled site, with the main stage sited in a natural amphitheatre, and a new second stage in a 700-capacity marquee – instead of the traditional aromatic cow shed.

“People will notice some big changes,” adds Joe. “But it’s still the same Truck – with lots of hidden gems.

“More than ever before, though, there will be something for everyone – and you are guaranteed to have a fantastic time.”

Truck Festival begins tomorrow. Adult weekend tickets are £99 on the door or from the Truck Store in Cowley Road, Oxford. Young people’s and day tickets are also available. Go to thisistruck.com St Etienne heartthrob Sarah Cracknell shares her festival tips on page 20 in the Guide in today’s Oxford Mail.