THE UK'S biggest free music festival, famed for attracting top acts from around the world, is coming to Maidstone.

The town has been chosen as the venue for Radio 1's Big Weekend, a two-day extravaganza involving the cream of international music talent.

The announcement was made on Friday morning on the Chris Moyles breakfast show, which was broadcast live from Leeds Castle.

Forty thousand people will flock to Mote Park over two days on Saturday and Sunday, May 10-11.

Keeping tight-lipped

Indie-pop band Scouting For Girls were the first band to be confirmed as playing at the festival. They were at Friday's launch.

Radio 1 insiders are keeping tight-lipped about the rest of the acts but Jason Carter, its editor of live music and events, said that if the line-up comes off, it will be the best yet.

That's a big statement when the likes of Foo Fighters, Kasabian and Muse have played at Preston and Dundee Big Weekends in the past.

The Big Weekend takes place seven weeks before the Glastonbury Festival.

Many acts at the Big Weekend often go on to play at Glastonbury and organisers announced this week that Kings Of Leon, Jay-Z and The Verve would be headlining there.

A new stage will be unveiled at the eighth Radio 1 Big Weekend, making it the biggest yet.

The BBC Introducing Stage will showcase some of the best new and emerging UK talent chosen from BBC music shows.

There will also be a main tent, an In New Music We Trust stage and a DJ stage.

Lucky ones

Although online registration for tickets will be open to everyone, most will go to people in the Maidstone area. Registration is likely to start in April.

Mr Carter said: "There are 10,000 pairs of tickets per day, and last year we had 700,000 people apply. If you get a ticket you are one of the lucky ones."

Maidstone was the organisers' top choice as a venue.

Mr Carter added: "It doesn’t seem to be a place where many of the big touring bands stop off. We want to do something good for the area."

When the bands down their drumsticks for the day the fun will spill over into the town's clubs with parties hosted by Radio 1 DJs.

Two months of secrecy

The location of the event has been kept under wraps since December.

Radio 1 DJ Moyles told the Kent Messenger Group: "The Big Weekend events are one of the highlights of our year. I know that sounds like a line, but it's true.

"I hope everybody gets excited about it – and to the lucky ones that get tickets, trust me, it'll be the best thing Maidstone sees this year."

In the weeks leading up to the weekend, some of Radio 1's daytime shows will be presented from around Kent.

Last year's acts

Kaiser Chiefs
Maximo Park
Stereophonics
Kasabian
Bloc Party
Scissor Sisters
Razorlight
Groove Armada
The Fratellis
Klaxons
The View
Dizzee Rascal
Natasha Bedingfield
The Pigeon Detectives
Rihanna
The Fray
Mika