Glastonbury with sand instead of mud – that’s how a music festival planned for the Island’s eastern end this summer is being billed.

Music lovers could be pitching their tents in Leysdown as big plans are already underway for the free event in August.

Sheppey Music Festival is the brainwave of Leysdown Events Organisation Committee, which is also responsible for the annual carnival.

It hopes to encourage local bands to sign up to perform at the festival – and the response they get will determine how long the festival will go on for – but it could be up to a week.

The week ending August 20 has already been pencilled in and the committee has applied for a licence for the event.

It is hoped the final day of the festival will be given over to raise money for the Dannyboy Trust, which was set up in memory of fallen Sheppey soldier Daniel Holkham.

The audience will be restricted to 500 and the live music will finish at 9pm out of respect to neighbours.

The stage will be positioned on the private beach area between Little Groves Holiday Park and Central Beach Caravan Park.

There is also a possibility a temporary campsite could be set up on nearby fields for festival goers.

Now the committee is appealing to local groups, bands, singers, musicians, orchestras, DJs, rappers and choirs to get involved and perform at the festival.

To take part, all groups must have at least one member from Sheppey.

Community groups and clubs will also have the chance to set up stalls and games to collect funds and there will be food and drink stalls.

Committee chairman Paul Day said: “We decided to organise this following on from the phenomenal success of the showcase at the carnival last year.

“Groups and bands approached us to do something like it again and we want to use this year so we can show off what a fabulous amount of talent we have got on the Island.”

• To find out more or get involved, phone Mr Day on 01795 511173 or 07884074685 or go to the website at www.leysdownevents.org