ANY doubts about the decision to extend the Hop Farm Music Festival to a third day were emphatically dispelled by a mammoth, show-stealing performance by Prince.

The purple one packed his more-than-two-hour Sunday night set with hits like 1999, Little Red Corvette and Kiss, during which it was impossible not to move your feet.

The diminutive superstar came back for four encores and was only curtailed by the event's curfew.

A rousingly-beautiful rendition of Purple Rain left the crowd mesmerised, punctuated by a breathtaking, virtuoso guitar solo.

At 53, Prince appears to have lost nothing over the years unlike last year's headliner Bob Dylan whose vocals were clearly ravaged by time. Prince's voiced was faultless and peerless, his band excellent and even his dancing still bombastic.

The booking was a coup for the small Paddock Wood festival, which is organised by Vince Power, the man who founded the Mean Fiddler and Jazz Café venues and has had a big hand in festivals such as Reading and Glastonbury.

It was the Minneapolis megastar's first UK show since a 21 night run at the O2 arena and his first ever UK festival show, despite years of rumours about Glastonbury.

The Hop Farm Music Festival, held in Paddock Wood, is now in its fourth year and has gone from strength to strength.

The atmosphere, as ever, was cheery. The three stages, numerous bars and plenty of shops added up to a great day out. And there was a staggering array of food – a Bhangra Burger anyone? Pimp My Mash?

The show opened on Friday and the highlight, on the main stage at least, was a solo set from Killers front man Brandon Flowers who performed a range of solo and Killers hits with gusto before ending on a slightly odd note with a strangely-arranged version of the smash Mr Brightside.

The Eagles pleased the largely older audience as Friday's headliners with group and solo hits like Joe Walsh's Rocky Mountain Way.

The best of Friday, though, was on the second of the three stages – the Big Tent. Crowds struggled to squeeze into the tent as Ocean Colour Scene launched into a huge sing-a-long of The Day We Caught the Train which continued with the crowd chanting the chorus even after the band had departed.

Headlining in the Big Tent on Friday, The Human League nearly left their encore too late as crowds started filtering out before they came back for their signature tune Don't You Want Me.

On Saturday, singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner performed on-stage alchemy – somehow managing to dominate the main stage with just himself and a guitar. Lou Reed was disappointed following an inspiring acoustic set by Patti Smith but the energy was lifted by a frenetic set from leather-skin rock shaman Iggy Pop and The Stooges and a well-received performance from Morrissey.

On Sunday, girlband Parade and up-and-coming producer Labrinth put on a good show in the Big Tent. Eliza Doolittle proved herself to be more than just a pretty face with and showed she is a rather gifted performer, even if her between-song banter did fall a bit flat.

Perhaps to some Tinie Tempah was out of place on the main stage of a festival which appeared pitched at a slightly older bracket, but from where I was stood, the crowd loved it. Tinie's energy and already impressive array of hits brought a smile to many a face.

The show though, ultimately belonged to the man who came after him. Prince was peerless. The biggest question for next year is surely – how do you top that?