Festival founder Melvin Benn assured families worried about Latitude becoming the first festival arena to sell solely street food that kids will find lots to eat.

“I needed to refresh the food. We were ground-breaking in the first few years but I felt, possibly, that I’d let the food slip a little if I’m being absolutely honest. I wanted to do a 100% change so brought in Street Feast which is incredibly successful and popular in London.

“Something that’s been coming through the website is ‘where are the fishfingers, what will the kids eat?’ The team took a whole pile of kids to have Street Feast and nobody needs to have any hesitation. We’ve got more than 80 traders coming and the range will be phenomenal, whether that’s Taste Tibet or wood fire pizza from Ipswich.”

Also new to Latitude is the Theatre of Food, with cutting-edge recipe demonstrations from the hottest modern chefs, mixology master classes and food tastings.

Among today’s many act additions were East Anglian bands Pianofield, Pop Chorus, who will be donating their entire fee to the Iceni charity in Suffolk; Piers James, Caswell and Highest House.

“Local acts have always been very importanct to us; being part of Suffolk has always been important to us,” he added.

Describing this year’s line-up as the strongest in 13 years, Saturday tickets have sold out quicker than any year before.

“We’ve the biggest Saturday headliner we’ve ever had in The Killers this year. I’ve done so many shows with them over the years but I never thought we’d be able to persuade them to come to Henham Park. That’s put pressure on the weekend tickets and they’re selling faster than they normally do.”

Mr Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, is equally excited about the new RiZE Festival at Chelmsford’s Hylands Park, August 17-18, which replaces V Festival.

“We’ve a phenomenal history at Chelmsford, we love the environment, but I wanted to create a new festival that would stand on its own without a sponsor. We’ve looked to do something different to V and RiZE is definitely doing that. Stereophonics and Liam Gallagher are definitely making a statement, making a move towards what the festival will become.”

Latitude Festival returns to Suffolk’s Henham Park on July 12-15.

Today’s additions

Music and film arena: Alexis Ffrench, Grace Petrie, Hollie Cook, Lee “Scratch” Perry with Mad Professor, Oscar Jerome, Reeps One: We Speak Music, Tim Arnold, White Mink featuring Jenova Collective, Swing Zazou, Twin Swing and DJs Nick Hollywood and Tallulah Goodtimes

Music stages: Abi Ocia, AK Patterson, Andy Backhouse DJ, Bodega, Caswell, Charles Watson, Dylan Cartlidge, Gareth Potter DJ, GRL TLK DJs, Highest House, Jack Vallier, Joseph J Jones, K A R Y Y N, Kiran Kai, Kyekyeku and Ghanalogue Highlife, LUCIA, Makeness, Mikey Snooze DJ set featuring Lycra 1980’s Dance Party, My Sad Captains, Olli Dutton DJ, Palace Winter, Pianofield, Piers James, Pop Chorus, Projector, Rothwell, Self Esteem, Stealing Sheep’s Suffragette Tribute, Sun Scream, Suzi Wu, The Go! Team, The Wandering Hearts, Wildwood Kin and Yussef Dayes.

Solas: 3D (DJ), Amaroun, Ark, Bearcubs, Catnapp, Dave Seaman, Darren Emerson and Danny Howells (hard to imagine 10 years ago these would’ve been in this area, a real treat); David Keenan, Delilah Montagu, Holiday Oscar, Honey Harper, Honey Lung, Joseph J Jones, Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker, Lilla Vargen, Nathan Ball, Pillow Queens, Riley Pearce, Ruby Empress, Sing Along Social, The Modern Strangers, The Ninth Wave and WH Lung.

Theatre of food: Andy Noonan and The Big Grill Festival, Charlotte Pike, Felicity Cloake, Gill Meller, Jennifer Irvine, Joanna Blythman, Jordan Bourke, Lynn Lockwood, Sally Butcher, Persepolis; Street Feast (Up In My Grill, Yum Bun, Club Mexicana).

Street Feast: Happy Maki, Hedgerow Cordials, Lagom, Lambassadors, Oatopia, Paellaria, Popdogs, Taste Tibet, The Coffee Gondola, The Peckish Peacock, The Piadina Project and Woody’s Pizza.

Family, kids’ area: AnimAlphabet The Musical, Chelsea Physic Garden, David Gibb, Department of Gruff (D.O.G), Emma Shevah, James Campbell presents That Was The Week For Kids, Life Without Oxygen?, Like A Tree, Mini Zoo and Wildlife Display, Perfect, The Children in the Moon, The DNA Explorers Lab, The Origin of the Species, West End Kids and What’s Going On In That Brain Of Yours.

Family, The Inbetweener’s area: New Tech presents VR, gaming or animation; Into Film and Hip-Hop Shakespeare.

Family, The Enchanted Garden: Ktroo and their Fantastic Bouncing Shoes, Joy in Dance, archery, Circomedia.