Several thousand music fans from across Ulster head for the hills this weekend for the Glasgowbury Festival.

This year’s line-up includes some of the best local bands and artists around at the moment including In Case Of Fire, General Fiasco, mojoFURY, Henry McCullough, Jaded Sun, LaFaro, Swanee River, Cashier No 9, Ed Zealous, The Jane Bradfords and Little Hooks.

Also on the bill are A Plastic Rose, Here Comes The Landed Gentry, Clown Parlour, Yes Cadets, The Beat Poets, Furlo, Dirty Stevie, Kowalski and many more.

Belfast-based band And So I Watch You From Afar will headline the event.

Now in its ninth year, Glasgowbury has become the must-play festival for acts throughout the land.

Festival organiser Paddy Glasgow said: “Glasgowbury has always been about new and unsigned music and this year’s line-up is testament to the power of the music culture in this country.

“The music scene in Northern Ireland, in particular, is thriving and has given so many good acts to the world over the last few years. So this year is very much about giving the power back to the people who have made Glasgowbury so successful throughout the last decade.

“In fact some of the acts who began their careers at Glasgowbury, where they got their first lift onto the ladder, will be coming home to roost at this year’s festival — at the top of their game.

“Bands like In Case Of Fire, And So I Watch You From Afar and General Fiasco have gone on to sign record deals and become known worldwide and have the capability of doing something monumental. Glasgowbury always knew and supported that.”

And with its 10th anniversary in 2010, plans are in motion to make it the biggest and best so far. Camping is available on site and opened last night to festival-goers. The entertainment kicks off today.

Also adding some colour to this year’s event will be the Beat Initiative’s carnival, with activities ranging from mask making to samba band performances.

Glasgowbury is the first of only two outdoor gigs in Northern Ireland this summer, given the absence of Tennents ViTal for the second consecutive year.

The other event is the Belsonic festival, which is taking place from August 27 to 29 at Custom House Square in Belfast.

Tickets for Belsonic are available from www.belsonic.com, Stiff Kitten or Ticketmaster outlets.