GIANT TV screens showing the Euro 2004 football championships and the Wimbledon final could be put up on Southampton Common this year if a major revamp of the city's balloon and flower festival is given the green light.

Tourism chiefs are drawing-up a scheme to give the 15-year-old event a radical makeover following a survey by Tourism South East which showed that a massive 39 per cent of visitors were dissatisfied with the "poor showing" of the balloons last year.

Declining visitor numbers, as well as a clash of dates with the internationally-renowned Hampton Court Flower Show have also taken exhib-itors and competitors away from the city's award-winning Flower Festival - the largest show of its kind in the south.

Entrants for the balloon element of the festival have also declined since 2000 due to a fall in the number of companies wanting to pay for the large-scale balloons.

City chiefs were unable to get sponsors for the combined festival last year. Now, they are hoping to re-launch the show as the "Southamp-ton Festival" which will be phased in over the next three years.

The famous "nightglow" element of the show - where balloons light up the night sky - is likely to be kept.

However, balloons will no longer be the focal point of the proposed new festival format.

Instead, the flower marquee will be modified to reflect public interest in garden makeovers, with the main arena split into two smaller venues.

The council also plans to establish the festival as a major show for vintage vehicles working in conjunction with the Southampton Heritage Federation the Southampton District Heritage Trust and classic car clubs.

Plans also include setting up a giant video screen which could in future years show highlights of the British Grand Prix. The screen would also be used to show footage of balloon flights and other entertainment throughout the weekend.

Other planned events include:

Re-introducing the festival stage to showcase local bands

A children's entertainment zone

Street theatre.

The plans are due to be put under the spotlight by members of South-ampton's lifelong learning and leisure scrutiny panel on Wednesday.

Southampton City Council's Cabinet member for tourism and leisure Councillor Peter Wakeford said: "These proposals are all put forward on the basis that the current festival needed a new lease of life. We have asked officers to come up with plans that will increase the number of sponsors for the event which in turn will keep people coming."