Madchester pioneers Happy Mondays will headline this year’s Jimmy’s Festival, we can exclusively reveal.

The annual celebration of music and food returns to Jimmy’s Farm, in Wherstead, on July 21-22 with tickets already on sale.

“The next festival will be the best yet. We’ve got one of the hottest new bands, Pale Waves, confirmed for Saturday and Happy Mondays on Sunday with still more announcements to come,” said Jimmy Doherty.

“With all the amazing things we put on, there really are so many reasons to bring all of our our family and all of your mates.”

Happy Mondays formed in 1980 in Salford with Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, brother Paul on bass, Mark Day on lead guitar, Paul Davis on keyboards and Gary Whelan on drums. Mark “Bez” Berry later joined them onstage during a live performance after befriending Shaun and served as a dancer and percussionist. Rowetta Satchell provided backing vocals in the early 1990s.

Their first official release was the Forty Five EP on Factory Records in 1985. Signing with Tony Wilson’s Factory Records, albums Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out), Bummed and Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches cemented their importance on the Madchester scene.

Known for singles like Step On and Kinky Afro, they enjoyed chart success and toured the world. There have been a few changes since the original incarnation ended in 1994. The current line-up is Shaun and Paul, Mark, Gary, Rowetta, Bez and Dan Broad on keyboards.

Last year’s acts included singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, Scouting for Girls, Chas and Dave, children’s show legends Dick and Dom and Great British Bake Off’s Martha Collison.

Festival director Nichola Adams added: “We are so excited to bring the Happy Mondays to the festival as well as Pale Waves and some of the best fresh talent in the UK at the moment.

“We asked our customers what they primarily book their tickets for and headline acts came out on top followed closely by the family offering and food. We’ve listened and we will continue to work hard to give people what they want.”