BRIT Award nominees Paloma Faith and The Vaccines will be headlining this year’s Evolution festival, which has announced a 28-act line-up to keep tens of thousands of music fans on their feet on the May Bank Holiday weekend.

The festival, which is now in its 11th year, will take place on May 26 and 27 at the Spillers Wharf and Ballast Hills sites on the banks of the Tyne.

Organisers of the festival, which has proved a sell-out for a number of years, have unveiled a varied line-up of established bands and local musicians.

Indie-rockers The Vaccines, whose album Come of Age went straight in the charts at number one, are currently “the best live band in the country”, said festival director Jim Mawdsley at yesterday’s Evolution launch.

He also announced that for the first time the festival is not reliant upon public money – fulfilling an aim organisers had from the very start.

But he said they remain grateful for the support they have from Newcastle and Gateshead councils and other organisations which have helped keep the festival rocking on both sides of the Tyne.

Also in the line-up of acts are chart-topper Ellie Goulding, local singer Lulu James, rising star Jake Bugg, Irish rhythm and blues band The Strypes and dance act Sub Focus.

More local talent will get to perform at Evolution Emerging, the regional band showcase in the Ouseburn that is the forerunner to the main event.

Details have yet to be announced but 500 acts – more than ever before – have shown an interest in the 26 available spots.

“I think that’s amazing,” said Jim.

In April organisers will release details of a festival first: a Facebook and website search for local DJs to open a main stage.

“We feel there’s something in there for everyone,” added Jim. “We always try to do that – appeal to everybody.”

Since the first Evolution festival in 2003, when Jim admits they didn’t know whether there would be another, it has become one of the biggest events in the Tyneside musical year, celebrated by about 28,000 music fans on each of its days. Tickets, which were put on sale before any of the acts were announced, have been sell quickly.

They are available – priced £29.50 for a day ticket and £39.50 for the weekend – from www.evolutionfestival.co.uk