THOUSANDS of music fans are set to descend on a forest clearing this weekend for two gigs featuring some of the biggest stars of the Eighties.

Dalby Forest, near Pickering, North Yorkshire, will host Scottish rockers Simple Minds on Friday night, before pop duo Erasure take over the stage on Saturday.

The concerts at the weekend will mark the tenth anniversary of Forestry Commission gigs at the venue, which can hold almost 5,000 people.

Tickets for Erasure have sold out, but tickets for Simple Minds will be available on the night.

Forestry chiefs are urging people to arrive early on both nights -– concert car parks open at 5pm and auditorium gates from 6pm.

The forest will be closed to general visitors at 4pm.

Support acts include Sophie Ellis-Bextor for Erasure and James Walsh for Simple Minds.

Proceeds from the concerts are used to care for woodlands in North Yorkshire and the Tees Valley.

Concert goers are advised to bring outdoor clothing and a torch. No glasses, tables, tents or gazebos are permitted.

For more information call 01751-460295 or visit www.forestry.gov.uk/music