REVELLERS hailed the ‘best Witney Music Festival yet’ as 15,000 people flooded to the Leys for a two-day celebration of sound.

A mix of artists from Oxfordshire and beyond played across two stages, before Liverpool-based headliners The Farm brought the house down on Saturday night.

The event, taking place over two days for the first time, offered entertainment for all the family, with fairground rides, food stalls and fireworks alongside the live music.

A BBC Introducing stage was unveiled for the first time to give local musicians a platform, while live DJ sets offered another dimension to the musical mayhem.

Noasis, the UK’s biggest Oasis tribute act, headlined the bill on Friday evening, setting the stage for a full day of action on the Saturday.

Day two’s offering did not disappoint and organiser Eric Marshall said the range of acts contributed to the festival’s success.

He said: “Everyone was saying that this year was the best yet.

“The tribute act on Friday went down a storm and I think we got the mix of acts right on both days.

“We had more family-friendly bands than ever which is something we’ve been working hard on.

“It’s really important that we reached out to everybody."

The festival was run entirely by volunteers and a record 45 people helped out over the weekend.

Mr Marshall added: “It’s just incredible how many people were willing to give up their time and be part of it.

“There seemed to be this amazing vibe and it carried the momentum from coming to peace with the town council.”

Positivity was in short supply in May when organisers clashed with the town council over a finishing time for the event, held on council-owned land.

Both sides eventually came to an agreement, but one month later tensions resurfaced over the festival’s event management plan.

Relations were soon smoothed over and since then it has been plain sailing, paving the way for a weekend all about the music.

Witney band Twisted State of Mind performed on the main stage on Saturday and 18-year-old drummer Damon Marshall revealed the crowd played its part.

He said: “We’ve played here for the last few years and it gets better and better.

“I always say that when the crowd is good it makes you perform better as it gives you so much more energy.”