IRISH punk legends Stiff Little Fingers have been announced as special guests for the main stage at Kubix Festival 2020 in Sunderland.

The popular punk act, which has been touring for 40 years, are best known for classic songs like Alternative Ulster, Suspect Device, Wasted Life and Nobody’s Hero – though their most recent album, 2014’s No Going Back, was hailed as one of the best of their career.

Last year they supported heavy metal legends Metallica at a huge open-air show in front of 75,000 people at Slane Castle in County Meath, Ireland, while this year, in addition to their traditional March UK tour, they are embarking on jaunts to Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

For SLF frontman Jake Burns the Kubix Festival appearance will be a special one, as he spent many years living in the North-East, while guitarist Ian McCallum is from County Durham. The band’s line-up is completed by original bassist Ali McMordie, and drummer Steve Grantley, who joined in 1996.

The organisers of Kubix Festival say they hope the announcement of such a big-name band will sway any music fans who were undecided about buying a ticket for the 2020 event as it returns to Herrington Country Park on the outskirts of Sunderland for the third successive year.

Kubix Festival is spread over two days Friday July 10 and Saturday July 11.

The Friday, July 10, will celebrate the best of ‘80s and ‘90s pop, with confirmed acts including Vengaboys, N-Trance, East 17, Ultra Nate, Blow Monkeys, D:ream, Smoove & Turrell, Urban Cookie Collective, Culture Beat, Livin’ Joy and Vandebilt. Leading UK house DJ Allister Whitehead (Ministry of Sound and Gatecrasher) will be playing a set, with more DJs to be announced.

Saturday, sees the attention switch to alternative and indie acts, and with today’s announcement the line-up is complete. The main stage headliners are The Levellers, with SLF, New Model Army, Ash, Cast, The Selecter, The Wedding Present, and Wilko Johnson preceding them.

The Marquee Stage, which will be much bigger than previous years, will be headlined by resurgent Sunderland post-punk band The Futureheads, which is sure to go down a storm with their hometown audience. It will also showcase appearances by Gang of Four, Dreadzone, The Farm, Holy Moly & The Crackers, Death of Guitar Pop, Duncan Reid & The Big Heads and Crashed Out.

A very limited number of early bird tickets for both days, priced just £22 per day (plus booking fee), and weekend tickets are available now from www.kubixfestival.com/kubix-tickets/

Shuttle buses are available from Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Newcastle, Gateshead, Durham Sunderland, Darlington and Leeds (Saturday only).