A SMASH hit festival in Cirencester is gearing up to rock the town in less than two weeks.

The Phoenix Festival will be taking place in the Abbey Grounds on Saturday, August 30 and Sunday, August 31 and organisers have promised an exciting line-up with many new and special additions.

The volunteer-run festival is getting ready for its second year in the town and hopes to attract more than 18,000 visitors, topping last year’s total.

It has already signed up two nationally-known bands, beat boxing group Duke and rock band Miracle Masters as the headliners of the event.

Festival organiser Clare Bartlett said the Phoenix Festival last year was a real success and she hopes this year will be even better.

“Last year the first festival created a real buzz and was a huge success,” she said. “This year we expect it to be even more successful as the excitement and anticipation grows in the build up to the event.”

The family-fun festival boasts activities for all the family with a bouncy castle, rodeo donkey and circus skills for children, a pop-up skate park for teenagers and a festival bar serving real local ales for adults.

There will also be a special flyover performance from the aerobatic Breitling Wingwalkers, who are based at Rendcomb airfield, and organisers have even hinted at an appearance from the Red Arrows.