NOW just over a week away, the Surfstock music festival in St Agnes is shaping up to be one of the most exciting events of 2008.

Organisers of the festival – featuring The Gossip, Santogold, The Go! Team, Chromeo, Alphabeat, Black Lips and Natty plus 60 more – are continuing to add to the already dazzling programme.

New additions include, best selling author of Mr Nice, Howard Marks who will be handing out a few gongs to the surfers in the British Isles Surf Awards, compering the main stage and doing a bit of DJing.

Also, added to the main stage on Friday is Bristol's Phantom Limb, whose lead vocalist is also the singer with Massive Attack.

Saturday night sees Electric City who have been supporting We Are Scientists, Futureheads and opened for The Who at the Albert Hall earlier this year. The band features the son of Duran Duran's Roger Taylor and Cornishman Jon Dixon, originally from Summercourt.

The Heavy, who recently signed to Ninja Tunes, will grace the main stage on Friday with their dirty, guitar-scorched hip hop soul.

Head honcho of Twisted Nerve records Andy Votel is appearing in the Green Rooms on Friday night with a special guest.

Extra additions to the Local Heroes stage are Ice Cold Idiots, a three-piece from Falmouth whose oldest member is 11. ICI blew the organisers away with their cover of Black Sabbath's Paranoid on YouTube and their performance at the Gig on the Green in Truro swiftly resulted in a booking.

Cornish debauchery experts Bugga will be pinking it up with Sir Vinyl of the Fattest and Glass Shark will bring their butt-shaking sci-fi disco genius to the Rabbit Hole stage on Friday joining Cornish Colombians The Mosquitoes, Penzance nine-piece ska band Pondlife, Death Ray Trebuchey, a storming six-piece gypsy punk band formed after a trip to the legendary Guca trumpet festival, and Dulwich Ukulele Club famous for their 100-piece ukulele band that festival-goers can sign up to perform in.

Surf on the Turf, a giant outdoor LED screen, will be showing quirky never seen before surf clips stretching back to 1916 and feature the hilarious animated penguin surf classic Surf's Up!, surf classic Big Wednesday and Rick Kane in North Shore. To complement the on-site Silver Surfer information point we will also be screening locally filmed Blue Juice, top surfing titles including the newly released Mr. B/Wavelength production Substance and winner of St Jean De Luz Surf Film Festival, Liquid Time.

Other additions to the site – already hosting seven tents – include the Residential Dance Home fresh from appearances at the Big Chill and Latitude – let the old folk take you into a fantastical disco dream land featuring The Launderettas and Get Waxy.

The campsites will open at 8am on Friday with the entertainment beginning at 12pm and continue for two whole days and nights with a 6am licence each night.

Saturday night is "You Ain't Going Out Dressed Like That" but please remember there are children present at this event!

If two days is just too much – Saturday tickets are now available priced £40 from www.surfstock.co.uk

Please note that Saturday ticket holders must use the park and ride system as there is no on-site parking available for Saturday.

Camping will available but you will have to leave your vehicle in the park and ride. Campervan tickets are only available to weekend ticket holders and can be purchased at the site.

Weekend ticket holders are permitted to park on-site provided you arrive before 10pm on the Friday. Head to www.surfstock.co.uk for more.