THE organisers of Oxfordshire’s longest-running major music festival have announced the line-up for their 40th anniversary event.

Fairport’s Cropredy Convention, which takes place in the village of the same name, near Banbury, is organised by the band Fairport Convention – who continue their tradition of headlining the Saturday night.

Other acts booked for the gathering, from August 8-10, include former Fairport member Richard Thompson - who will will appear with his erstwhile bandmates Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg and Simon Nicol, new folk artist Seth Lakeman, guitarist Martin Simpson and the Waterboys.

Also playing are Martin Barre, who will celebrate the music of Jethro Tull with original Tull drummer Clive Bunker and long-time bassist Jonathan Noyce, Canterbury prog-rockers Caravan, Scottish singer-guitarist Zal Cleminson’s Sin’Dogs, all-female folk ensemble Daphne’s Flight, Richard Digance, award-winning female trio Wildwood Kin, multi-instrumentalist Lil Jim and Highland four-piece Tide Lines.

Tickets go on sale on Monday from fairportconvention.com
Three-day festival tickets cost £140. Camping tickets cost £45 for three nights. 
 The first 1,000 orders will receive a Christmas card signed by all five members of Fairport Convention.