THIS year, Dorset’s Larmer Tree festival will see a female-fronted takeover on the main stage on Saturday night to mark the centenary of women’s suffrage.

Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus, in her role as guest curator, has selected some of her favourite female artists, including Ibibio Sound Machine, Brooklyn-based artist and feminist rapper, Miss Eaves as well as acclaimed artist, songwriter and poet, Akua Naru.

The acts join headliners First Aid Kit, Tune-Yards, Norwegian producer Susanne Sundfør plus new additions, experimental pop duo, Let’s Eat Grandma and Holland-based singer songwriter Naaz.

Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards said: “It’s a great privilege to be involved in the curation of Larmer Tree’s programming this year. I was happy to include women artists, all of whom I know from past projects and admire for their unique and brilliant voices, laser-focused on a future that is seldom represented in festival programming. I hope audiences will enjoy these artists as much as I do.”

Larmer Tree Festival, creative director, Sarah Dennehy adds: “It is super lovely to work with Merrill on Larmer Tree Festival. She is an inspiring woman.”

The Larmer Tree Festival programme expands with the addition of many new names including Public Service Broadcasting, who will be returning to Larmer Tree for 2018. Expect samples galore along with their unique mix of archive footage, electronica and banjo which will educate, entertain and inform.

Also added to the programme will be Mercury-nominated Nick Mulvey. Mulvey has created a sound that is both striking and individual, channelling great musicians including Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, and Tom Waits. Audiences can expect a variation of styles from this scholastically talented artist.

Dorset-raised singer-songwriter Roo Panes has also joined the line-up. Since his debut album, LittleGiant, was released in 2014 to critical acclaim, Panes has racked up around 35 million plays on Spotify.

For the first time, there will also be the new addition of a Larmer Spa, giving festival-goers the chance to pamper while they party.

n Tickets for the festival at the Victorian Pleasure Gardens in Cranborne Chase, which runs from July 19-22, are available via larmertreefestival.co.uk.