WITNEY is set to rock for seven days straight when the town’s free music festival opens on Saturday.

There will be pub gigs and acoustic shows in venues around town, building to an all-day finale on Saturday, May 30.

But the team behind it said it’s not so much bigger and better, but slimmer and fitter than previous festivals.

Organiser Eric Marshall said the plan in the festival’s ninth year is to have fewer venues but make sure they are packed.

He said: “We’ve slimmed it down quite a bit this year. We wanted to maintain the quality but make sure the pubs involved in the festival have a good crowd.

"The aim is also to have a higher calibre of bands than ever before.”

He added: “We’ve got far more bands signed to record labels than we’ve ever had before so we’ve really upped the ante in terms of the quality.”

Signed acts include Witney’s very own heavy rock threesome Twisted State of Mind who have been blowing crowds away with their live performances across Oxfordshire and beyond and have recently been signed to US label Toil Records.

Captain Horizon will bring their very own blend of alternative rock and Witney based Reejai have been gaining a growing reputation on the local scene.

The iconic power rock of Status Quo will ring out around town when John Coghlan’s Quo take the stage to headline the final on Saturday.

Coghlan joined the Quo in 1962 and stayed with the group for 20 years. He still uses the original Quo kit on stage and his set will include many of the group’s greatest hits.

But it’s not all about the big hitters.

Mr Marshall, whose son Damon is the drummer for Twisted State of Mind, said the festival’s main aim is to provide a platform for local talent.

A battle of bands contest has been running for the past six weeks and its winners will get the chance to play the festival’s main stage.

Mr Marshall said: “This is an opportunity for bands who might not be in the forefront but because they win this competition on merit will earn the chance to play the main stage. This is a great incentive for local bands.”

With Witney School of Rock acting as a training ground for local musicians, and the newly opened Koi bar joining Fat Lil’s among the local venues supporting them, Mr Marshall said the festival is the culmination of a thriving music scene in the town.

Festival venues include Koi Bar, Fat Lil’s, the Langdale Hall, St Mary’s Church and the Elm Tree.

On the final Saturday there will be food stalls, face painting, and clothing and tattoo stalls.

There is a new organising team running the event and local sound crews, artists and support staff.

For full details visit witneymusicfestival.com or pick up a programme in town.