THOUSANDS of music fans flocked to Bury to enjoy some Bank Holiday fun in the sun.

The warm weather brought out live band lovers for the ninth annual Glaston-Bury festival, split across 10 town centre venues.

Music hubs such as the Two Tubs pubs were packed out with rockers jamming out to the bands, while families enjoyed the carnival atmosphere on the two outdoor stages.

Revellers sang the praises of organisers, who have raised almost £100,000 for Bury Hospice since launching the festival in 2008.

Samantha Harper, aged 29, of Rossendale, said: “We brought our 10-year-old boy Fred along and he absolutely loved it.

“The weather was absolutely amazing and the bands were brilliant, particularly the Stone Roses tribute band.

“I like that you can just walk around and soak in the atmosphere.”

New features this year included a mobile phone app and venue screens which gave updates on stage times – and they came in handy as several performances were delayed.

Kieran Marshall, aged 36, of Prestwich, said: “I liked the updates because it meant that you were less likely to miss a band.

“The venues are all really close together so it works really well.”

Among the highlights were Nirvana tribute band In Bloom and Paul Weller cover band Small Weller.

Glaston-Bury organiser Chris Buckley said: “Weather wise, we could not have ordered it in better. It was wonderful and the day was a huge success.

“Molloy’s had to stop letting people in and they were queuing at the Two Tubs

“I was really pleased with the feedback that we have had from people who came along, particularly because people liked the new outdoor stage, which featured unsigned bands.

“The highlights for me was a performance from Mrs Cakehead, who are completely wacky and sing songs about cheese and biscuits, and the show from Aftermath Eternal, who are a metal band.

“Another draw was the 99th Garrison, who are a Star Wars costume group. It was really good for the children who came along to meet them.”

Lisa McNamara, landlady of the Two Tubs, said: “It was my first experience of Glaston-Bury. We had a cracking day. It is fantastic and a great initiative for Bury. The atmosphere was electric.”