A MIXTURE of exciting new acts and old favourites have been lined up to take part in the 2010 Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival.

Tolpuddle regulars such as Billy Bragg and Tony Benn will return for this summer’s festival, which runs from Friday to Sunday, July 16 to 18.

Other musical acts taking part include Robb Johnson, African band Kasai Masai, Ian King, Eliza Carthy, The Bad Shepherds, Al Baker and the Dole Queue, Stompin’ Dave Alan, Jackie Oates and The Stow.

Along with Mr Benn, speakers will include TUC President Dougie Rooney and international representatives from the Zimbabwe Agricultural Workers Union and the Argentina Cabin Crew.

Festival organiser Keith Hatch said: “We are going to build on the success of previous years.

“We’ve got Billy Bragg back and Ian King is really good, he’s just on the way up.

“Eliza Carthy is always very popular and we’ve got Ade Edmondson and The Bad Shepherds, which should be fun.

“There are also a lot of local bands like Dave Alan, the Dolmen and Boyd and Wain.”

As well as music and speakers there will be a host of other entertainment for all ages such as samba workshops, woodcraft, poetry and – of course – the procession.

With the festival attracting around 5,000 people over the weekend in recent years, Mr Hatch is confident it will continue to prove as popular as ever.

He said: “The procession seems to get bigger as more people seem to bring banners.

“We are about at capacity in terms of numbers so the festival doesn’t physically get much bigger but there tends to be more on and people come for longer.”

Jan Pickering, manager of the Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum, said this year’s promotional brochure had been based on a poster for a concert and ball held in 1836 to celebrate the return of the Tolpuddle Martyrs.

Visit tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk