The 25ft wicker man is burned every year at the festival

The event, which is now in its fourth year, will feature performances from Sandi Thom, New Model Army, Marky Ramone and The Blockheads.

Thousands of people have descended on the 120-acre site near Kirkcudbright for the two-day festival.

A spokesman told the BBC Scotland news website that the event appeared to have a "much bigger" crowd than the 10,000 who attended last year.

The Wickerman festival was inspired by the 1972 horror film of the same name, which starred Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee and was shot at the nearby Isle of Whithorn.

It features the burning of a 25ft tall wicker man as the finale.

The festival, which will started as an alternative to large-scale events such as T in the Park, has now established itself as part of the summer festival calendar.