THE festival season got under way last weekend with a definite splat at the Isle of Wight.

The Island festival saw muddy scenes usually associated with Glastonbury.

That festival isn’t on this year but plenty more are.

This weekend it’s the turn of Blissfields. The organisers are sure to be crossing their fingers for less rain than we saw last weekend for their event at Winchester.

The festival combines live music with DJs and comedy across today and tomorrow.

Previously named as “Britain’s best small festival”, Blissfields brings a host of household names to the line-up this year along with some exciting up-and-comers.

The line-up includes The Noisettes, best known for their smash hit Don't Upset the Rhythm, and an acoustic set from Patrick Wolf featuring the singer-songwriter on a grand piano.

His Blissfields date is ahead of an acoustic UK tour later this year to celebrate his tenth anniversary in music.

Welsh singer Charlotte Church will also be performing on Saturday, bringing new material to the Winchester crowd.

Other live acts include indie rock band Guillemots, whose hits include Get Over It and Annie, Let’s Not Wait, singer-songwriter King Charles whose sound has been described as everything from psychedelic rock to folk-pop, Spector, Sixnationstate and Dub Pistols as well as Ben Goddard and the Heartbeats, who recently won the Road to Blissfieldsbattle of the bands competition in Winchester.

There will be DJ sets from the likes of Bitr8, Artful and Luca Pilato and many more.

Among the comedians on offer are Fern Brady, Ruth E Cockburn and Bob Slayter.

There will also be a golf course, late night parties in the ‘Hidden Hedge’ and a full programme of school sports day activities as a tribute to the Olympics.

The festival started 12 years ago in the back garden of founders Paul and Mel Bliss and has remained an intimate occasion despite switching sites, with the Woodmancott venue capacity just 2,500.