A FESTIVAL is set to bring Bob Marley’s message of peace and love to Redbridge.

One Love Festival will hit Hainault Forest Country Park again this September for its ninth weekend of reggae music, world food and its famous Battle of the Dubplates sound clash.

The festival started in 2008 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of reggae legend Bob Marley’s concert of the same name amidst civil war in Kingston, Jamaica.

After two successful festivals in Hainault in 2010 and 2011, One Love has secured a permanent premises license for pocket of Epping Forest in Romford Road near Chigwell.

Festival director Dan Wiltshire said: “This year is a big one for One Love Festival.

“Gaining a permanent premises license to secure our future at Hainault and seven headliners across three days, it’s a great year.

“I’m always looking to give One Love Festival fans something new and this year isn’t going to disappoint.”

This year’s event will offer festival goers the choice of 70 bands across two live music stages.

One Love 2016’s headliners include reggae and hip hop artist Junior Reid, who says he is “honoured” to be headlining on Saturday, September 3.

He will be joined by DJ Big Youth, who is expected to draw some of the biggest crowds of the whole weekend.

He said: “It’s pretty surreal to be co-headlining One Love Festival – I’m excited to be a part of it.”

The three-day event will also see the return of the festival’s Battle of the Duplates, where artists go head to head in a freestyle competition in the hope of getting their hands on the champion cup.

Mr Wiltshire added: “One Love is a melting pot, a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, free trade and environmentally-friendly event, buzzing with creativity, fun, ideas and soul.

“It’s one of the most diverse and unique festivals in the country and offers something for everyone – an experience not to be missed.”

Organisers are hopeful this year’s festival will be served by the night tube, which providing there are no further delays, is due to rolled out on the Central Line on August 19.

Revellers can get to the festival site easily from Fairlop Tube Station in Forest Road.

Weekend camping tickets are £140 for adults and day tickets for either Friday 2, Saturday 3 or Sunday 4 September are £47 each.

For more information, see the website.

http://onelovefestival.co.uk/