MALMESBURY’S first independent music festival looks set to be a sell out with almost two-thirds of the 1,750 tickets having now been snapped up.

The Boondocks Festival was made possible after £30,000 was raised from advance ticket pledges via a 30-day ‘Kickstarter’ crowd-funding campaign during the run-up to Christmas.

The event will take place on a 15-acre site on Foxley Road, a 20 minute walk from the town centre, on Friday and Saturday on July 17/18 - the week before WOMAD at nearby Charlton Park.

The organisers are delighted at the response from the Malmesbury community and are urging people that if they want tickets to get them now before they all go.

Chief organiser Neil Muttock said: “Everyone in the community has been really supportive.

“From the Kickstarter campaign to putting up posters to selling tickets in the shops, it’s been wonderful to see how everyone is keen to help make it happen.”

Several acts, including dance masters Dub Mafia and ukulele-wielding covers band The Rinky Dinks, both from Bristol, have now been announced for the Friday night.

Also confirmed are Zambia-born, Bath-based rock-folk duo Bite The Buffalo, guitar maestros The Showhawk Duo, and Cornwall-based seven-piece The People’s String Foundation.

Some of the team behind Boondocks was also involved in the Sherston based Sherston-Fest and many of the acts now booked to play on the Friday are well known from that event.

Mr Muttock said: “Friday night at the Boondocks is going to be a massive celebration featuring all our favourites.

“These acts are all real live-music heavyweights. It’s going to be a fantastic party atmosphere.

“Most of all it will set us up for a quite amazing Saturday, when we’ll pull out all the stops to make the Boondocks worthy of all the amazing support we’ve had so far.”

He added:”Our mission is to put on a festival worthy of that support and that attracts people from far beyond the local area just because it’s a great festival to go to.”

Tickets are on sale from a number of High Street shops and also on-line.

Further information at theboondocksfestival.co.uk/tickets/