WICKHAM Festival organisers are to stage a one-off drive-in concert starring Show of Hands after being forced to postpone this year’s main event.

The four-day festival was scheduled to take place from August 6-9 but was put back 12 months because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But organisers will now put on a special event with Britain’s top acoustic music duo on the same weekend.

They will be appearing at Netley’s Royal Victoria Country Park on Friday August 7, the day they were due to headline at Wickham Festival.

In order to comply with government regulations, the concert will be a drive-in show with space for 150 cars containing up to four people at a cost of £40 per vehicle.

Wickham Festival organiser Peter Chegwyn said: “We were desperately disappointed that we had to postpone this year’s festival as we really felt we could get it on safely. But we don’t give up easily.

“We won’t allow ourselves to be beaten by this virus. We know a lot of people are desperate to enjoy live music so we are offering something a bit different.

“Show of Hands have been one of our most popular acts for many years and would have been headlining our Friday night. It is just now it will be as a two-piece at a different venue and with a rather different atmosphere!

Show of Hands frontman Steve Knightley added: "The Wickham Festival is a wonderful event and one which has had a very special place in our hearts for many years. We are delighted to help out and I really hope people support it through these tough times.

"We are very excited to be asked to perform. We have never done a drive-in show before so it will be a unique event and we are determined to make it very special.

"We were due to be headlining at Wickham that night and although the atmosphere will be a bit different, it is great that the show will go on. We are going to make it a lot of fun.”

Tickets can be booked at soundlevel.events/events/2020/aug/drivein21 .

The entire four-day Wickham Festival programme has now been rolled over to next year when Van Morrison will be headlining alongside Show of Hands and the Waterboys.

Tickets remain valid and full details are available at wickhamfestival.co.uk . Support the festival's future at crowdfunder.co.uk/please-support-wickham-festival.