A two-day festival featuring some of the country’s top tribute bands took place at Holywells Park in Ipswich this weekend.

Ipswich Star: Festival-goers at The Nearly Festival in Holywells Park.Festival-goers at The Nearly Festival in Holywells Park.

Around 4,000 people enjoyed tribute acts, ranging from UB40 and Madness to Olly Murs and Bob Marley, and children’s activities funfair rides, face-painting and princess sing-a-longs at the Nearly Festival.

Ipswich-born organiser Danny Banthorpe, 42, promotes the event as an alternative to national festivals, such as Glastonbury and V Festival, which festival-goers and families in the Ipswich area are unable to attend.

The former Kesgrave High School student said: “The festival culture is huge now and we are nipping in that little niche that can’t afford to go to the big festivals or who don’t want to camp.

“We have been running the event for a couple of years now, in the back gardens of pubs and at hotels, but we thought we would try to bring it to a bigger venue and it has been fantastic. Holywells Park has been a beautiful venue.

Ipswich Star: Johnny Mac performs at The Nearly Festival in Holywells Park.Johnny Mac performs at The Nearly Festival in Holywells Park.

“We had one in Bury St Edmunds last week and plan to launch one in Norwich next year. We want to keep it in East Anglia.

“Ska’d 4 Life on Saturday night was probably the highlight. The drummer for the Bob Marley tribute act had died the day before, but the band still played in tribute to him. They were brilliant as well.”