PUNK legends The Stranglers will headline this year’s Head For The Hills festival.

Formerly known as the Ramsbottom Festival, the band will play alongside Beth Orton, Dutch Uncles and the Neville Staple Band at the three-day event.

Thousands of people are expected to fill Ramsbottom Cricket Club to take part in one of the area’s artistic calendar events.

A variety of locally produced foods and beers will be on offer to satisfy tastebuds.

For the artistic festival-goers, Bury Collective returns with a selection of pop-up art shops, with sketching, print, lantern and ‘heads on sticks’ workshops.

Stand-up comedy and other performing arts also have their place at the event.

A festival spokesman said this year’s event would be bigger and better than the rest.

He said: “The beautiful town of Ramsbottom comes alive with an eclectic mix of music and great arts and family shows to showcase the very best in Lancashire hospitality.

“In programming Head For The Hills we look to our core values and hope to produce something unique, amazing, high quality and worthwhile.

“We are not Glastonbury, we’re not even Green Man, we’re definitely not V Festival.

“They are all great in their own way but we are something different.

“The festival is our annual celebration of all things metropolitan; music, theatre, participatory workshops, welcoming communities and developing audiences and artists.”

Organised by The Met in Bury and The Bridgewater Hall, the festival is in its second year of a pledge to reduce environmental impact, including waste disposal, energy use and impact of visitors.

David Agnew, artistic director at The Met, said: “We’re thrilled with developments for this year’s festival.

“For us it’s all about surprising and delighting audiences and supporting new talent.”

Ticket prices start at £29 for a day and £72 for the weekend, with discounts for children and families.

Youngsters under the age of six are free.

The festival will take place at the cricket club near Bridge Street between Friday, September 15, and Sunday, September 17.

Visit www.headforthehills.org.uk for details.