CUMBRIAN music and arts festival Solfest is back after a year’s sabbatical with a new ‘compact and bijou’ approach.

Some of the biggest names in folk and traditional music will take to the stage at the new, revamped Solfest this summer.

Multi-award-winning and Mercury Music Prize nominees The Unthanks are among the most highly-regarded of all traditional acts.

Kathryn Tickell is the foremost exponent of the Northumbrian pipes, a composer, performer and successful recording artist whose work is deeply rooted in the landscape and people of Northumbria.

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sam Kelly was runner up in Britain’s Got Talent in 2012 but has gone on to make a name for himself in folk and roots music.

Peatbog Fearies have built a reputation over two decades with their dazzling and hugely infectious fusion of Celtic traditional music and dance music bringing elements of jazz, hip hop and reggae to their musical table.

The Lancashire Hotpots return to Solfest by popular demand with their wonderfully self-deprecating blend of folk rock comedy that lovingly pokes run at their own culture and the modern world.

Also lined up are festival favourites and Solfest old hands including Banco De Gaia, The Baghdaddies, Pikey Beatz, The Skints, Bombskare, Young Rebel Set, Holy Moly And The Crackers, Emma And The Professor, Stark, The Talks and Bridie Jackson And The Arbour.

Also Solfest’s famed Love Shack and Electric Village will host the very best in dance, dub-step, trance, reggae, electronic and a whole range of experimental sounds with 8:58, DJ Templehead, RoomFull Of Mirrors, Radioactive Man (live), The Hobo (aka DJ TurtleWax), Age Of Glass, Werkha, Shocon, Silverclub, Gella, Projekt Dataline and Gemma Furbank.

Solfest marketing officer Tom Kay explains: “We made a conscious decision to distance our festival from more commercial events, moving away from big headline names.

“This year’s Solfest will look and feel different, we’ve made some big decisions like, losing what was the main stage in favour of more venues.”

Solfest takes place at Tarns, near Aspatria, over the bank holiday weekend August 28-30.

Tickets available on www.solfest.org.uk .