THEY have already been given the royal seal of approval - and now one of the country's top Indian bands is set for Southampton.

Bollywood outfit Strings will be among the acts wowing the crowds at the city's first Asian festival at Hoglands Park tomorrow.

The free all-day event will also feature one of the few Asian DJs - Vinay Handa - to cross over to the mainstream.

Organisers hope the extravaganza will attract thousands of people for the mix of music, dance and art.

Strings, which perform in Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu, have played at venues across Europe and the UK, including before the Royal Family at a Commonwealth event.

Its award-winning singer Anuradha Shukla said: "We are really excited we are going to be there," she said.

The event runs from noon to 9pm and there will be scores of stalls and stands, as well as a series of workshops for festival-goers to enjoy. It has been arranged by city based group Art Asia and they hope communities from across Southampton will turn out.

DJ Vinay Handa, who makes regular appearances at leading urban music club nights across the country, said: "I'm really looking forward to it as it's the first time this sort of thing has happened in Southampton, so it will be a whole new experience for everyone."