BILLY Bragg, the singer and political activist, will headline the Darwen Live festival this year, it has been revealed.

The 53-year-old, who has fused punk, folk and rock in a career spanning more than 30 years, will play the main stage on Sunday, May 29.

Darwen Live has secured funding for 2011, although the money has been scaled back as the council faces £29million spending cuts.

The main stage will only be used on one, rather than two days and the budget for artists has been reduced.

Damian Talbot, Blackburn with Darwen’s executive member for leisure and culture, said Bragg was an ‘absolutely brilliant’ addition to what is the only major festival to take place this year.

Bragg has been involved in grassroots, mostly left-wing, politics for most of his career, and has been a vocal anti-racism campaigner.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has slashed the budget for Darwen Live from £40,000 to £20,000, while Darwen Town Council has agreed to contribute up to £20,000.

Coun Trevor Maxfield, who has been asked by the town council to help organise the event, said: “The council is in financial difficulties, and we went after a number of bands.

“Billy came in at less than half of what the rest of the bands wanted. It’s been a balancing act - you can’t go paying loads to people for one hour when people are losing their jobs.”

More acts will be confirmed in the near future, Coun Maxfield said. Previous headliners have included country and western tribute Hayseed Dixie and the Buzzcocks.