Thousands of sun-drenched party people enjoyed a fabulous weekend of music, performance art and laid-back hedonism at this year’s Big Chill festival.

Set in Eastnor Castle deer park, just outside Ledbury, the annual four-day party continues to pull in crowds from across the country with its blend of top-drawer acts and famously ultra-relaxed atmosphere.

This was the eighth Big Chill to be held at Eastnor and the weather could hardly have been kinder; Thursday’s brief showers quickly giving way to a long weekend of glorious August sun.

Short skirts, sunglasses and silly hats were everywhere as revellers grooved beside the beautiful Eastnor lake to an eclectic mix of funk, soul, hip-hop, electro and everything in between.

Festival-goer Sarah Yorke, aged 22, of Malvern, said: “This is the third year I’ve come and it just gets better and better.

“We’ve been so lucky with the weather and we’ve all had such a good time. The music’s been brilliant as usual and I’ve seen some really good comedy as well.”

Mike Donohue, aged 29, of Worcester, said: “I’ve been to a few festivals but I think this is the best.

“They always have a good line-up and it’s just a really nice atmosphere.

“It’s great to have something like this right on your doorstep.”

After getting under way on Thursday with a world record-breaking zombie rave – when thousands of revellers dressed as the undead to star in a forthcoming film – the festival ran right through the weekend until late last night, when climaxed with the torching of a towering 50ft (15.2 metre) wicker zombie by the side of the lake.

The music was set over a number of stages and stand-up comedy, spoken-word performances, dancers, an arts field, a fun fair and a mouth-watering array of food and drink stands all kept the crowds happy throughout the scorching weekend.

The Big Chill lived up to its name, with the police confirming they had made no arrests throughout the entire event while the ambulance service said it had not received any emergency calls.

Festival review

THE festival properly opened with an afternoon of sunshine grooves on the main stage which warmed the growing crowd perfectly for the weekend of revelry to come.

Pick of the bunch on Friday was Sneaky, a cellist and double bass player – formerly one half of Fingathing – who got things moving with his funk-heavy bass sounds. Over in the comedy tent, meanwhile, award-winning Aussie stand-up Tim Minchin delighted his audience with his brand of self-deprecating musical humour.

The evening finished on the main stage with a raucous performance by electro lunatics Basement Jaxx, who drew in a colossal crowd and played a real festival set featuring all the old favourites with the usual array of dazzling costume changes.

Saturday dawned and there was no hint of a hangover from Scouse sci-fi hero turned unlikely radio DJ Craig Charles, who played an early afternoon set of funk and soul classics and was clearly enjoying the craic with the excitable crowd.

Back on the main stage and the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble played a storming set in the afternoon sun, their nine-piece brass-driven sound fusing with crunching hip-hop beats.

Over in the dance music tent, US stars Metro Area played a fine DJ set of understated house before electro legends Orbital rounded the night off with a thumping set that somehow managed to fuse Belinda Carlisle and Bon Jovi into their mix of pulsing rhythms.

Sunday morning saw Stockport’s finest Mr Scruff easing sore heads with a laid-back set of soulful grooves at his tea tent beside the lake, before hat-loving joker Norman Jay took to the main stage for his Sunday afternoon set of soul, funk, hip-hop and whatever else took his fancy.

With the evening climaxing last night with performances by David Byrne and a DJ set from the brilliant Greg Wilson, the Big Chill once again proved a riotous musical success. * Click here for our Big Chill picture gallery.