IT IS quite an annual spectacle – the burning of the wicker man at Butser Ancient Farm’s Beltain.
As dusk falls, the huge structure is set ablaze, the highlight of the ancient Celtic festival held to celebrate the start of summer.
This year’s event is on Saturday, April 30, and there are new attractions for 2016, including lively Irish band Feckless, the Pentacle Drummers who will be providing tribal beats as the flames go up, and Mythago Morris, an exciting team of dancers, musicians and storytellers.
Gates to the festival open at 4.30pm and ends at 10pm, with the wicker man lit around 9pm.
Other entertainment includes Roman cooking, Roman gladiators, Anglo Saxon re-enactors, Hants Astro with their telescopes, an artistic maze and traditional skills demonstrations in metalworking, leather craft, hurdle-making, flint knapping, spinning and weaving.
There is a licensed bar and range of food stalls. Visitors should bring a torch, warm clothes and something to sit on. Pre-booked tickets are £15 for adults, £10 children. Price on the day is £20 adults, £15 children.