AROUND 30,000 people are expected to attend the tenth anniversary Bournemouth 7s Festival this bank holiday weekend.

The three-day event, backed by the Daily Echo, started yesterday with organisers reporting all tickets sold.


While the campsite opened at midday yesterday, the main festival gates - at Bournemouth Sports Club, Chapel Gate, East Parley, Christchurch - will open today at 9am.

This year almost 400 sports teams will be battling for supremacy on the pitches, alongside performances from 40 live acts and DJs in a dozen festival arenas.

Mistajam, Artful Dodger and Brandon Block are the headline acts for 2017, and big names from the sporting world are expected to attend.

England rugby captains Will Carling and Lewis Moody have both attended in the past.

Festival chief executive officer Roger Woodall said: "We have a few things up our sleeve this year, and we've been working extra hard to make sure that our tenth festival is the best ever.

"There will be the usual mix of sport, live music, and fancy dress, so regulars won't be disappointed - but we really wanted a celebration that is also a thank you to our loyal teams and festival-goers."

Security has been stepped up for the weekend as well, with all visitors asked to remain vigilant. 

New for this year include the 'Big Boys' 10s veterans' cup, for the over 35s. One of the veteran teams will be the star-studded 'Rugby for Heroes' side, a charity team that regularly fields ex-international legends to raise funds for military personnel.

The Carlsberg Beer Tent, Big Top Dance Tent and many other favourites will be returning to host an eclectic mix of music, including Dance, R&B and Garage.

Roger said: "We try to cater for all tastes onsite, so we've been blown away by the response to our new arenas in recent years.

"We want to keep evolving and giving our loyal following the party they deserve. Bournemouth has been the ideal place to hold this event so we welcome anybody from the area and further afield who’s looking to have a great time."