TICKETS are selling fast for a Swindon music festival designed to showcase top local talent.

The Swindon Shuffle will take in various venues across Swindon, and will run from tomorrow to Sunday.

The headline acts for this year’s Shuffle include two successful local bands, the Alfonz and the Beatbullyz, and organisers say the rest of the line-up is just as strong.

Last year’s festival was the first, and it was created with a view to bringing the local music scene together.

This year the event has grown, with more venues, more dates, more bands and the introduction of the dance and hip-hop/funk music scene.

Organiser Paul Jellings said: “We wanted to look at expanding the range of music that was on offer and so getting the Beatbullyz to headline on the Sunday is great to provide a richer and more diverse element to the line-up.

“We also have teamed up with one of the top club nights, Kandifunk, to throw an after-show party on the Friday which, again, has added a new dimension.”

The Swindon Shuffle has been instrumental in helping local bands to up their game and blossom as credible artists.

Last year local band the Alfonz played in the Sunday line-up and went on to become the first local unsigned band to sell out the 300-capacity 12 Bar venue on their EP launch.

The venues include The Elm Tree and Riffs Bar tomorrow, 12 Bar and The Apartment on Friday, The Rolleston and The Furnace on Saturday and The Beehive and The Victoria on Sunday.

As well as the Alfonz and Beatbullyz, acts such as Buswell, In The Absence Of Light, Talk In Code and 2 Sick Monkeys will be performing at various venues.

Richard Craven, the secretary of the Swindon Shuffle, said: “We had over 1,000 people through the doors across the weekend last year, this year we are expecting more.

“Tickets are selling fast this year, so we do recommend that people get theirs early.”

This year’s Swindon Shuffle will once again support the Prospect@home campaign. Last year it donated £2,000 to the charity.

British Heart Foundation stalls will also be at the venues to help raise awareness and to sign up people to the donor scheme.

If you would like to know more about supporting the Swindon Shuffle contact paj@soppromotions.co.uk. For line-up and ticket details visit www.swindonshuffle.co.uk.