EASTNOR Castle is gearing up for the arrival of thousands of music fans next weekend.

The park surrounding the stately home is playing host to the Big Chill festival on August 16-18, which is bringing together top musicians, DJs and artists from all over the world.

The Big Chill has been described by the Guardian as "Britain's premier youth culture and arts specialist".

Its own description of itself is a "multimedia festival, club event, record label, and lifestyle dedicated to enhancing the spirit of our times".

It started life in 1994, when organisers Peter Lawrence and Katrina Larkin held an all-day event in an Islington chapel.

They progressed to outdoor events, and in 1998 they moved the Big Chill's main annual event to Larmer Tree Gardens in Wiltshire, where it became known as The Enchanted Garden and has proved a great success ever since.

Last year the Big Chill held a second annual festival at Lulworth Castle in Dorset, plus an event in Naxos, Greece, which is also being repeated later this year.

Peter, the festival's artistic director, describes the Big Chill's music policy as "right across the board - from electronic to acoustic, jazz to folk, classical to hip-hop".

"The full line-up is now confirmed, including live music from France's dub-accordion tango maestros Gotan Project, Chicago soul singer Terry Callier, Cinematic Orchestra, Fila Brazillia, Norwegian sensations Royskopp, A Man Called Adam, Swedish modal jazz band Koop, The Bays, Kinobe vocalist Xan, the Echo String Quartet, and Aim from Manch-ester's Grand Central label, plus many more."

But what attracted the Big Chill to Eastnor in particular?

"I've been coming to the Welsh Borders, to the Malvern Hills and the Marches for years," said Peter, "So I know Ledbury and the surrounding area well. We've always done events in beautiful locations, and this is one of the main things that distinguishes the Big Chill from most outdoor events.

"The castle invited us to come and do an event there, after going to our Lulworth Castle event last year - so I took up their invitation immediately."

Other attractions include a body and soul area with alternative practitioners, cinema and mixed media tent, children's events and art trail.

For more information, see www.bigchill.net. There are some tickets left, adult tickets to the three-day festival cost £89 (£25 for children aged five-16, under-fives free), including on-site camping.