Kasabian have revealed they are to headline this year's V Festival.

The rockers - who have played before at the annual two-day festival which is held in Essex and South Staffordshire over the last weekend of August - admit it is "an honour" to top the bill.

Guitarist Serge Pizzorno said: "It's a real milestone. We've been doing this for two years now and it's nice to get to the point where you're headlining a major festival. It's an honour. Those two nights are going to be the shows of the year I think. It's been difficult to keep it under wraps. I'm glad the cat is out the bag."

Serge and his bandmates will pack their set list with hits, rather than debuting new material, because that's what festival goers want.

The musician told Absolute Radio, who will be broadcasting live from the Virgin Media V Festival: "Headlining a festival is a real moment for a band. The set will probably just be good festival music, I don't want to play anything new. I've learnt my lesson from a lot of people who have played these shows."

Kasabian - who will headline alongside the Kings Of Leon - will also be joined by Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole who will make her first solo festival appearance, as well as bands including the Stereophonics, The Prodigy, Paul Weller, The Kooks, Faithless, Paolo Nutini and Florence and the Machine.

The festival, which takes place on August 21 and 22, will also see sets from the Pet Shop Boys, Madness, Editors, White Lies, Mika, Groove Armada, The Courteeners, The Charlatans, Temper Trap, Amy McDonald, Goldfrapp, Shed Seven, Newton Faulkner, La Roux, Skunk Anansie, Passion Pit, Ellie Goulding, Kate Nash, Paloma Faith, Plan B, Sugababes and Pixie Lott.