Oxfam plans 'biggest festival ever'

Hoping to emulate the spirit of Live 8, bands including Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Goldfrapp, The Magic Numbers and The Automatic have all signed up for the awareness drive.

Oxfam is hoping to persuade dozens of other acts to perform alongside local bands in community halls, round village ponds and even in back gardens, as well as at traditional venues.

The charity, which will have a presence at most the UK's major festivals this summer, hopes to engage people from all walks of life to help stage more than 2,500 events throughout October.

Kaiser Chiefs lead singer Ricky Wilson said Oxjam was all about continuing the momentum of the Make Poverty History movement.

He said: "Whether it's shaking a tambourine for hours, dancing till the break of dawn or forming a band on the spot - big or small, it doesn't matter. Please sign up and make a noise."

Alison Goldfrapp added: "We are playing lots of big festivals across Europe this summer but Oxjam is different. Anyone can join in and help make poverty history through making good noise."

Oxfam is also travelling around this summer’s festivals in a special campaigning campervan to raise awareness about global poverty and what people can do about it.

Stopping at festivals like the Carling Weekend, V Festival and WOMAD, volunteers will be taking photos of punters as part of a competition to find the 'angriest face' expressed against world poverty.

The winner of the summer-long competition will win 52 top CDs, so look out for the massive Oxfam chill-out coffee tent, where you can grimace in front of the lens as well as find out about the work the charity does and how you can get involved.

Oxfam campaigners will also be taking pics of festival-goers and blogging from all the festivals, with the aim of putting pressure on world leader to end poverty for good.

Find out more www.oxfam.org.uk/generationwhy.

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