Thousands of music fans are to make their way to Cannon Hall for a music festival this week.

Final preparations are now being made for the family-friendly Underneath The Stars festival which starts on Friday and runs until Sunday.

Headline acts are local star Kate Rusby, American musician Mary Chapin Carpenter and Eddi Reader, formerly of Fairground Attraction.

The event is at Cannon Hall Farm.

Festival director Emma Holling said: “We are expecting around 3,000 visitors per day, drawn from all around the country to our line-up of 30 world class performers and our packed programme of arts and cultural activities.

“We’ve also invited around 20 artisan craft traders and 20 of the finest street food stalls, plus the local Silkstone Scout Group will be cooking up over 1,500 bacon butties each morning to raise funds for a new equipment store.

“Around 200 volunteers will be helping to keep festival-goers safe and happy around the 30 acre site, whatever the weather.”

The festival showcases a mix of folk, swing, jazz, rock and roll, blues and world music.

None of the musical acts run concurrently so attendees won’t have the usual festival dilemma of who to see and who to miss.

The fully-seated main concert marquee that is currently being erected is 54 metres square, 15 metres high and can be seen from the M1 motorway over two miles away. As well as various marquees, the festival site includes a vintage Ferris wheel, fairground rides and even a giant planetarium for keen stargazers.

The event is staged at Cannon Hall Farm, the visitor attraction which will be open as usual during the weekend. Sheep have already been moved away from the field which hosts the festival to make way for the visitors.

The festival is raising money for Yorkshire Cancer Research.