South Central music extravaganza to replace ill-fated Mutiny Festival – with Sean Paul and Craig David announced as headliners

Joining the stars in the first round of acts to be announced for South Central Festival include rock indie band The Hunna and singer songwriter John Newman.

The new event will take place on May Bank Holiday weekend on the King George V Playing Fields in Cosham with live music and DJs performing across six stages.

A street food market, secret gin garden, a hotel disco with 80s and 90s throwbacks, giant maze and craft beer beach bar are among the attractions for the event which organisers promise to be ‘full of wow moments, colour and creativity.’

Fitness guru Mr Motivator will also be hosting a live workout session.

It comes after last year’s Mutiny Festival, which was held in the same place on that weekend and was cancelled on the second day after two revellers died from drugs.

Rapper Sean Paul and UK garage star Craig David were among the acts due to perform on the Sunday before organiser Luke Betts and his team took the decision to cancel it following the deaths of 18-year-old Georgia Jones and Tommy Cowan, 20.

Inquests in the deaths of the pair, who were both from Havant, heard both had taken ecstasy tablets before falling ill and being rushed to Queen Alexandra Hospital on the Saturday evening.

Georgia’s mum Janine Milburn described her daughter as ‘a typical teenager, talkative, stubborn, argumentative, very caring, very family and friend orientated’. Tommy, who was a father-of-one, was described by his mum Brook Hoar as ‘fun-loving’ and ‘a doting dad and boyfriend’.

The festival, which is part of a new events company owned by Mr Betts, will be open to over-18s only. More acts, including another major headliner, are to be announced very soon.

Tickets for South Central Festival, which will be held on Saturday May 25 and Sunday May 26, are now available at southcentral.net