IT may not be as big as Glastonbury, but Witney's eight-day music festival promises to be just as colourful.

That's because music fans are being encouraged to wear wacky wellies when they turn up to enjoy a feast of folk, jazz, ska and indie music.

Now in its second year, the Witney Music Festival promises to be bigger and better than last year's event and, with more than 25 artists spread across eight venues, organisers believe it offers something for all ages and musical tastes.

Among the acts booked for the event, which starts tomorrow, are highly-rated Oxford folk artist Bethany Weimer, low down gutbucket jazz band Rabbit Foot Spasm and songwriter Samuel Zasada, who will officially launch his second album at the Rapture music store in the Woolgate Centre, Witney, next Thursday.

Organised by music lover Stuart Foster and his friend Derek West, the festival aims to raise £1,000 for Oxford hospice Sobell House. It raised £650 for the charity last year.

The festival has again been dedicated to the memory of Mr Foster's late sister Jo-Marie, a music fan who died in her sleep, aged 21, in November 2005.

Mr Foster, of Apley Way, said: "It went really well last year but we were being as business-like as possible so people would take us seriously, so this year we thought we'd have a bit more fun."

"If you go to any festival outside, you wear wellies, so we thought asking people to wear wacky wellies is in keeping with that and would provide a bit of fun.

"It isn't essential that you wear them but we thought it would be lovely to see festival-goers in them."

The 26-year-old added: "We've added an extra day of music so it's definitely bigger and better than last year. We haven't really gone for a single music genre on purpose, so there really is something for everyone.

"Last year was extremely busy and almost everywhere got packed out but this year some of the artists are completely new to me so I'm excited to see them too.

"It's great for local artists to get heard and get noticed and it's great for people to be able to hear some new music and go to a venue they might not normally go to."

The organisers are filming the performances in the hope of producing a DVD of the festival later in the year and are particularly happy to return to the Plough, in High Street, as the pub was badly affected in last year's floods.

Although the performances are free, gig-goers are being asked to make a £3 donation. The money will support Sobell House and help cover the costs of the festival, which this year did not get any funding from the Witney Town Hall Charity.