Musician turned cheese maker Alex James regrets the financial fallout from last year’s Harvest Festival but is looking forward to a new event this summer.

The former Blur bassist has teamed up with TV chef Jamie Oliver to hold a new 9,999-capacity music and food festival at his farm in Kingham, West Oxfordshire.

It will include music from Paloma Faith, Gaz Coombes, the Noisettes, Sister Sledge, Texas, Razorlight and the Guillemots.

The organisers of last year’s Harvest Festival, Big Wheel Promotions, collapsed owing debts of £1m, including £57,506.34 to 11 Oxfordshire firms.

Mr James said: “I regret what happened but it was out of my control. I think everyone realises that.

“I suffered as much as anyone did and the only thing to do was to come back bigger and better. We have got to look forward.”

But he added: “As an event, Harvest Festival was a big success. We did not get one complaint last year – it went so smoothly.”

This year’s event, on September 1 and 2, has been organised by Brand Events and has been dubbed ‘Jamie Oliver presents The Big Feastival with Alex James’.

On top of the music, there will be food from Jamie’s Italian, Barbecoa, Café Mor, Brindian Roast Bar and Byron and children’s entertainment from Peppa Pig and the Bushcraft Company.

Mr James said: “We are working night and day to make it an absolutely brilliant day.

“Jamie’s bringing his magic and I am going to be making sure the music is up to scratch. I am calling in favours and pulling strings.

“It reflects my perfect weekend and includes my two favourite things, food and music, plus Peppa Pig.”

The Big Feastival is the brainchild of Mr Oliver, who came up with the concept after being dissatisfied with what was on offer at music and food festivals.

He said: “I have been to great music festivals where the food was not very good, and I have also been to amazing foodie events where there was no good music, so I could not understand why no one had combined the two.”

He held the first feastival in Clapham Common last year and it included food from London restaurants and music from The Charlatans, Athlete and Soul II Soul.

Mr Oliver said: “This year, we decided to hold it outside London so we got in contact with Alex James, who is an old mate.

“He is giving us his farm for the weekend and it is going to be even bigger and better than last year. And Peppa Pig is coming back.

“I just hope everyone who comes along has an amazing weekend.”

For more information, visit thebigfeastival.com