Lovers of the blues will be treated to a new boutique music festival in Canterbury this weekend.

Blues on the Farm is being staged over three days at Woolton Farm at Bekesbourne, which is the home of Kentish Pip cider.

Taking place from Friday, June 15 to Sunday, June 17, it will feature some of the biggest names of the genre.

They include Grammy-award winning guitarist Martin Barre from legendary rockers Jethro Tull, King King, Dr Feelgood, the Climax Blues Band, Jo Harman, Mike Sanchez and his band, Rebecca Downes, Vince Lee and The Big Combo, Marcus Bonfanti from Ten Years After, Catfish, ex-Them’s Jackie McAuley, the Robin Bibi Band and the Band Of Friends, celebrating the music of Rory Gallagher.

The event is being planned by the organisers of the New Day Festival, which takes place at Mount Ephraim in August, and is hosted at Woolton Farm where Kentish Pip director Sam Mount feels they have the ideal setting.

He said: “The idea was inspired by the much-missed Blues on the Farm festival at Chichester and we just felt we had the perfect location to re-establish it.

“I am sure we can provide a great atmosphere, surrounded by orchards, with facilities for camping, glamping and free on-site parking.

“The stage will be set up at the bottom of a gently sloping field creating a kind of amphitheatre and we think it will have a real intimate feel. Obviously, it would be nice to grow it a bit in the future and make it an annual event, but it will always be a boutique festival.”

There will be two bars selling local real ales as well as the farm’s own Kentish Pip ciders and sparkling wines and variety of food stalls selling Kentish produce.

DETAILS

Blues on the Farm will be held from Friday, June 15 to Sunday, June 17. For tickets, a full line-up and more details go to bluesonthefarm.com.