GET ready to rock at Poole’s first ever Seven Seas Festival this weekend with some of the best tribute bands and local artists on the scene.

Part of the Poole Maritime Festival, the free family event is a celebration of the world’s music, food and culture over three days and two nights from May 19 to 21 at Harbourside Park.

The music line up is headed by Europe’s biggest Madness tribute, One Step Behind, as seen on BBC Proms in the Park and the Ant & Dec Show. Also on the bill are Queen tribute Rhapsody, Bob Marley tribute Legend and the highly rated Ed Sheeran Experience starring Jack Shepherd.

The supporting bill of local acts features party starters such as Mother Ukers and the irrepressible Si Genaro, Jimmy Pithe, The Dolmen, Skimmity Hitchers, singer songwriter Gaz Brookfield and the ever mellow Afro*Disiac sound system.

Festival director Ben Dyas said: “The Seven Seas Festival has the best sounds around with music and food in each of the seven microsites, as well as on the main stage – it’s going to be impossible to sit still.”

The festival site is already open with the 35-metre high Poole Harbour Big Wheel offering rides seven days a week alongside the outside bar The HarBar, a converted shipping container, in Harbourside Park.

The festival’s seven microsites – North Pacific, Indian Ocean, South Atlantic, North Atlantic/Caribbean, North Atlantic/Europe and Arctic – are based on the seven seas with the food, drink and culture of that region.

Also in the Arctic region, visitors will find the Ickle Eskimos kids’ zone and Simon Chainey’s circus skills workshops. For more details, see sevenseasfestival.com