The Stranglers, The Damned and The Saw Doctors join Solfest 2011

The first acts have been announced for Solfest 2011. Punk icons The Stranglers will be joined by fellow genre legends The Damned, cult Irish band The Saw Doctors and classic 90's Britpop outfit Cast.

The Damned have specially chosen Solfest to celebrate 35 years since the release of their debut single 'New Rose', which landed in 1976.

Folk songstress Kate Rusby, Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson, and a host of other folk, pop and rock bands will appear across the weekend, due to take place over August Bank Holiday Weekend in an idyllic setting near the Lake District.

Solfest is also very happy to welcome singer, actress, and all-round alternative entertainer Camille O' Sullivan, who brings an element of burlesque to the festival for the first time.

Weekend Camping Tickets are now on sale for £89 via www.solfest.org.uk, following all 1,000 Early Bird tickets for this year's festival selling out in record time.

Solfest is the definitive festival for music hungry families. Welcoming, inclusive, inventive and jam-packed with carefully selected chart-topping acts from across the decades; it's one of North England's best kept and beautiful festival secrets with a stunning family area, workshops and five stages packed with music.

Its unique setting allows you to park right next to your tent for the most effortless camping experience, while wood for campfires is provided free of charge for those wanting a classic outdoors adventure. Solfest also invites traders from around the world to sell goods, food and drinks around the site, so you'll never be wanting for anything while on site.

The particularly family-friendly event, held between 26th ' 29th August and located on the edge of the Lake District, is one of the more wonderful British music festivals, tucked between the Solway coast and the Cumbrian fells. It offers a very open-minded and all-welcoming atmosphere for fans of music and the great outdoors, with a quality music programme incorporating classic guitar noise, pleasing new beats and eclectically satisfying melodies that Solfest hope will be accessible to their entire audience.

This beautiful setting has been the host for the last seven years to a mix of both well-established and emerging artists from all over the world, as well as an interesting array of walkabout acts and local talent.

Previous acts to play the festival include punk, Britpop, dance and indie legends The Charlatans, James, The Wonderstuff, Supergrass, The Proclaimers, The Orb, Sham 69, The Bees, Buzzcocks, The Levellers, Utah Saints and The Magic Numbers. With more acts still to announce, 2011 looks to have the most diverse and exciting bill yet for Solfest.