A HAMPSHIRE music festival has been rated the sixth most affordable in the country by a price comparison website.

Figures from Go Compare found that Winchester’s Boomtown event ranks alongside Reading, Leeds and Glastonbury as the events which offered music lovers the best value for money.

The price comparison site divided 2016 ticket prices for each festival by the number of artists which played at the event.

Figures show that Boomtown, which had 663 artists and cost £189.50 for a full ticket, workedm out at £63.17 per day or 29p per artist.

Glastonbury, with 1,654 artists and a full ticket price of £243, was rated number one at a cost of £48.60 per day or 15p per artist.

“Festivals can cost a lot of money, especially for young people who are still in education or on starter salaries,” said Matt Oliver, a comparison researcher from Go Compare.

“We wanted to look into the UK music festival scene to find out which event gives people the most bang for their buck.”

A GoCompare spokesman said: “Boomtown, though on a smaller scale than some of its competitors, is an excellent value music festival option offering a range of bands and DJs for an impressive £0.29 cost per artist, earning the festival sixth position on our ranking.”

A spokesman for Boomtown said: “It’s great to be included in this list as we really do strive to give our festival attendees value for money across the board.”

Boomtown makes its return later this month, running from August 10 to 13 at the Matterley Bowl in Winchester.

The headliners this year include two tone ska band The Specials, who soared to fame in the late 1970s and had number ones with Too Much Too Young and Ghost Town.

The group will be joined by hip hop pioneers Cypress Hill, who have sold more than 18 million records worldwide, and London rapper M.I.A., who enjoyed global success with her hit single Paper Planes in 2008.

Other artists appearing over the three days include American alternative hip-hop group Arrested Development, reggae superstars Toots and the Maytals and Jamaican reggae duo Chaka Demus & Pliers.

This year’s festival will feature 80 individual street venues, 30 ‘main stages’ and more than 700 musical acts along with a farmers’ market offering local produce, while 100 free workshops and activities will provide entertainment for all ages.