ALRESFORD Music Festival celebrates its seventh festival tomorrow with four stages featuring more than 25 bands offering a wide range of live music from rock and pop to indie, blues, folk and jazz.

Top of the bill this year are the reggae-breaks-jungle mashup and gangster-swaggering Dub Pistols, described by the organisers as “arguably the biggest act we have ever signed as headliners”.

They will be supported by Southampton-based The Hattie Jacques’ Playlist (indie/brit pop), The Black Hat Band fronted by vocalist Jaelee Small, reggae/rock/world fusion band Lionstar, and indie rock dance pop duo Wolf Club.

In addition, gig goers can enjoy a wealth of activities with a family arena offering loads of free activities, from a silent disco to street theatre, circus skills, bungee trampolining, rock climbing and an inflatable assault course.

There will be arts and crafts, a music instruments auction, and a plenty of food and drink from a big top beer tent to cider corner, cool cocktails and a Pimm’s bar.

The gates open at 10am at Arlebury Park and the music will continue until midnight.

There will be a free shuttle bus from Winchester and Alton railway stations from mid-morning to midnight, to extend the ‘walking’ ethos.

Alresford Music Festival has grown since the first event in 2010 from a few hundred hardy festival goers to a record 3,250 people last year. It’s an amazing achievement and the wonderful musicians who have all performed for little or no fees have been a huge part of why the festival has grown.

But, according to the organisers, the icing on the cake has been the opportunity to donate money to those who need it most. Since its first year the festival has donated more than £15,000 to organisations ranging from Alresford Youth Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to Alresford Town Football Club and rugby club and to international charities such as the Kusadevi and Mhendo water projects in earthquake-stricken Nepal.

While tickets are available online at alresfordmusicfestival.com or from Six West Newsagents in Alresford, Porters News in Alton, and Winchester tourist information centre, there will be a limited amount available at the gate.