A NEW youth music festival is set to take over a town football club this summer.

Wantage's Sweatbox youth club is planning to stage the first ‘What The Fest’ at Wantage Town’s football ground on Saturday, July 14.

Much like previous Sweatbox festivals Rock in the Park and Dylanfest, What the Fest will boast live music from local bands on two stages – an acoustic and the Live and Loud.

There will also be stalls, food and drink and workshops from noon to 8pm.

Organised by a team of youth workers, volunteers and club members, the new festival will have a strong focus on young people's health and wellbeing.

Special guests will include organisers from South Oxfordshire's Om and Bass festival, who will be running a ‘chakra shakedown’, and mental health champion Hope Virgo as a speaker.

DJ Carl will round the day off with his ‘End of the Show, It’s not a Rave, It’s a Dance Party’ set. Festival-goers can expect inflatable unicorns and palm trees.

Sweatbox manager George Hicks, who took over running the club last summer, said: “As in previous years, the focus is very much on young people, positive wellbeing and community.

“We will be hosting stalls run by many local charities and services who support young people and will be featuring 'Dyl Ville' – our very own mental health and wellbeing village with the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, Wantage Counselling Service and a hygge tent.”

The Sweatbox, which was based at King Alfred's Academy's East Site in Wantage for decades, was forced to leave its home last year after the school sold it to a housing developer. It is now being demolished.

The club, which held two Dylanfest festivals at East Site in memory of former member Dylan Edwards, is now ‘on tour', taking over venues such as the Beacon in Wantage and Old Mill Hall in Grove while it waits for its new home at King Alfred's Centre Site to be finished.

Mrs Hicks added: “Sweatbox On Tour has been an amazing success. We still have lots going on over the coming months.

“The new Sweatbox building is taking shape and I am working with the Sweatbox Union on the overall look of the inside of building at the moment.”

Organisers hope that What the Fest will become an annual fixture at Wantage Town FC.