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The grounds of Knowsley Hall are being temporarily transformed ahead of the inaugural Knowsley Hall Music Festival.

The main stage is being constructed to one side of the hall in the grounds of Lord Derby’s estate.

Over 40,000 people are expected over the two days to see acts including The Who, Keane, The View, The Zutons, Madness and The Coral play the festival over the weekend of 23 and 24 June.

The Knowsley Hall Music Festival is organised by the team behind Creamfields and Cream CEO James Barton believes the event will bring a lot to the region.

“As a scouser and someone who loves music, I think it’s something that the city and the Merseyside area really needs.

“We’ve got all kinds of amazing cultural activity going on, but we’re a music city.”

The stage under construction

Knowsley Hall occupies 2,500 acres of private parkland on the edge of Liverpool and has been home to the Earls of Derby since 1385. Part of the estate includes Knowsley Safari Park which opened in 1971.

James Barton says he hopes the festival will become an annual event.

“It was part of our plan that we had to launch in 2007.

“So by the time we got to 2008 we would have one year under our belts, and we could go to the agents and bands and demonstrate how successful we’d been.”

Shuttle buses to and from the site will leave from Liverpool Lime Street, St Helens, Warrington and Manchester. Return services on both days will start at 10.30pm, half an hour before the expected end time for the concerts.