BOOMTOWN was in full swing as huge crowds enjoyed music, activities and good times in the blistering heat on Saturday.

Chapter One: The Gathering, which is being held on the Matterley Estate, once again welcomed more than 60,000 revellers as it returned for the first time since Covid.

The festival started on Wednesday, August 10 and runs until Sunday, August 14.

No stranger to adverse weather conditions, Boomtown has had to contend with highs of 33C, with a Met Office amber warning in place for extreme heat.

READ MORE: Boomtown back with a bang as thousands flock to opening ceremonies

Every scrap of shade was filled by partygoers seeking respite from the beating sun as Saturday welcomed another batch of performers.

Crews spraying water to dampen down the dusty tacks were followed closely in tow by crowds looking to cool off.

Jack Redshaw, 30, from Fareham, said: "Trying to sleep in a tent while it's this hot is almost impossible. We're getting up early and heading into the forests until the temperature drops later in the day - but even then, it's not by much."

Hampshire Chronicle: Jack RedshawJack Redshaw

Those who did brave the sunshine were treated to performances by the likes of De La Soul and Tyrone + FooR. Festival favourites Gentlemans Dub Club, who opened Boomtown in 2019, drew in a huge audience as they took to the Grand Central stage in the early evening.

Aside from the music, the event offers a range of quirky acts who patrol the festival's many streets and districts.

Former festival security worker Callum Hockey first discovered his love for circus when he came to Boomtown and saw a woman fire breathing in 2018. As soon as he got back home he bought a bottle of paraffin, went down to his nearest body of water and taught himself how to breathe fire - among other tricks. A year later he returned to Boomtown as a paid performer and now works full time in the circus industry.

"I instantly connected with it," he said. "I spent a year almost solidly practicing, and it turned out I was actually pretty good at breathing fire.

"To come back and perform a fire show at Boomtown one year after I started was surreal. I closed my loop. It's such a wonderful experience and I couldn't be happier to be back here again this year."

Hampshire Chronicle: Callum Hockey Callum Hockey

Callum is also studying for a masters degree in engineering while he builds a couple of systems which he said will be "game changing" for the circus industry.

"This is my life now," he added. "It's the thing I'm most passionate about, and it all started at this festival. Everything that I build behind the scenes is purely for this, and I only want to push myself further."

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