FANS will be making track for Dorset as mighty beasts roll into action.

With just six weeks to go until Tankfest 2018, The Tank Museum has announced a line-up of special guest tanks that will be taking part in arena displays.

This year’s guests include a variety of rarities, some appearing for the first time and others being displayed in the UK for the first time ever.

Tankfest is the Bovington attraction's most important fundraising event.

A total of 20,000 visitors are expected to descend on the museum for the three-day event at the end of June to enjoy live tank displays, living history and explore the unique collection which includes Tiger Tanks.

Saturday tickets have now sold out but Friday, June 29, and Sunday, July 1 tickets are still available.

Tank Museum Curator David Willey said: "At Tankfest we are proud to be able to display what is the greatest display of historic moving armour in the world.

“We aren’t able to run everything in our collection – and therefore we are fortunate to be able to bring in some ‘guest stars’ to treat the audience and keep the show fresh.”

Special guest 1: IS-3M –The Belgian Royal Military Museum

This enormous cold-war relic has never been seen in the UK before – and will get plenty of attention as it takes to the arena for the first time at Tankfest.

Special guest 2: FT17 x2 – The Weald Foundation

The foundation has acquired and restored two of the iconic French First World War FT-17 tanks. Running examples are now very rare, and this will be the first time an example of the two man tank has been seen in action at The Tank Museum – 100 years on from leaving the Renault assembly line in Paris.

Special guest 3: Churchill Mk3 – The Churchill Trust

The Tank Museum has just concluded a long-term loan agreement with the Churchill trust which will see this Churchill Mark III joined by a Churchill IV and VII – two will feature in the Museum’s Second World War exhibitions and one will become part of the museum’s running fleet.

Special guest 4: Leopard II – The Historic Collection of the Royal Netherlands Army

Fine running example of the modern German build main battle tank, the tank of choice for many NATO nations

Special guest 5: Marder III & Stug III – Jon Phillips.

Jon Phillips is a tank collector and restorer who came very close to parting company with his prized German Second World War Marder and Sturmgeschutz III this year. Both vehicles were painstakingly restored from wartime wrecks and are making their arena debut this year

These will feature alongside the Tank Museum's own collection of armour – which will include “Fury” from the film of the same name, a newly restored Second World War Matilda II, Valentine and Comet.

Plus the British Army are returning to display a range of Theatre Entry Standard vehicles – foremost among them the Challenger 2 MBT.

For tickets see tankfest.org