Devon's Show of Hands - widely recognised as the finest acoustic roots duo in England - set off early on their UK festival season this year, notching up appearances at no less than 26 events.

Just days after completing their UK spring tour singer songwriter Steve Knightley and multi instrumentalist Phil Beer head to Kent for Rochester's unique annual Sweeps Festival (May 4) - the first of a summer full of performances that end at St Ives Festival in Cornwall on September 14.

As well as returning to favourite flagship festivals such as Trowbridge, Fylde, Sidmouth and Towersey they will make their debut at 14 other festivals, including WOMAD (July 27), accompanied by rising star Miranda Sykes on double bass and much lauded vocals.

They are the fastest selling act at Rochester - a three-day mix of music, Morris dancing and entertainment, recreating the 400-year-old traditional holiday for chimney sweeps each Mayday - the only day they could leave the soot behind.

Dubbed "a great festival band" by BBC Radio 2's Johnnie Walker, Show of Hands will headline the first Folk Prom at the Welsh Proms at St David's Hall, make a first appearance at Chris While and Julie Matthews "Party on the Lawn" at Swindon and return to Saul Canal Festival, which was cancelled due to flooding last year.

There will also be an appearance in a famous English country garden - RHS Rosemoor in Devon - on September 13 and first time appearances at Lowdham Book Festival, Weymouth's Evolve Festival, the Henley Festival and the new Stokes Bay Festival in Hampshire.

On Saturday, July 5 they host their own incredibly popular signature festival at Abbotsbury's Sub-Topical Gardens on the Dorset coast (left). For its 11th year, Steve and Phil will be joined by guitar ace Martin Simpson as well as folk sensation Martha Tilston and her band The Woods and the Tim Edey Band.

Aside from the festival circuit, Steve and Phil will be wielding some flour power when they play Otterton Mill near their home town of Exeter, on July 17 - a special one off show to raise money for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) Mills Repair Fund, to restore the UK's historic mills.

With their genre defying sound, indy ethos and inspired material, Show of Hands have proved a popular choice for the growing number of UK festivals and have also played a number of overseas festivals, including key Canadian events. They were voted "Best Live Act" in the 2004 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards - the only category voted for by the public and not judges - and this summer thousands of festivalgoers will get to see why.