Hands in the air good times are on the cards as Poole Harbour Festival gets ready to welcome some of indie rock’s most dynamic crowd pleasers in the shape of Place Your Hands hitmakers Reef, Pass It On pop perfectionists The Coral and The South, whose Song For Whoever has been bringing the house down for more than 35 years.

Running from 26 to 28 July and with more than 50 acts on four stages, it’s the weekend-long party that Poole revels in every summer.

“Our audiences tell us they love to make the most of their weekend by the sea and we programme the bands and DJs to deliver exactly that,” says festival organiser Ben Dyas.

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“Top hits from the 80s to the noughties by the original artists, with brilliant DJs including total legends like Lisa Lashes and Seb Fontaine will not only get the party started, they’ll keep it going all weekend.”

The live attractions also include headline heroes Razorlight and the ever-popular Toploader, with in-demand festival favourites Ferocious Dog and Dr Meaker.

There’s also a programme of acclaimed UK tributes to international superstar acts like Queen, Madness, Ed Sheeran, Amy Winehouse and, for the first time in Poole, Fleetwood Mac.

A much-loved feature of Poole Harbour Festival, the Dance Tent is home to Euphoria heroine Lisa Lashes and former Cream resident Seb Fontaine, as well as top ten chart act Ultrabeat and cut-n-paste king Jaguar Skills.

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“And don’t forget the local bands and singers,” adds Ben. “There’s always a lot of competition to get a place on the bill at Poole Harbour Festival because the crowd is really enthusiastic and supportive. It’s a great experience for up and coming bands.

“This year we’ve got more and bigger bars, many extra toilets, easier entry and more staff and security across the site with better signage for things like water points and toilets.”

Add to that the festival's famous family-friendly atmosphere – there are free circus shows on Saturday and Sunday as well as daily kids' entertainers, dinosaur shows and activities – as well as a pocket-friendly pricing structure and once again Poole Harbour Festival delivers all ingredients to kick start a fabulous summer by the sea.

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Poole Harbour Festival opens at 5pm on Friday, noon on Saturday and 11am on Sunday, closing at 11pm on Friday and Saturday and 7pm on Sunday.

You can also grab yourself a saving of up to £76, with 2nd Release Tickets! Adult from £22 | Adult Weekend from £65 | Family from £56!

Tickets available at www.pooleharbourfestival.com.