Brit Award winners, Blue, are to headline a weekend of live concerts at the Rose Bowl, Southampton.

Instead of the sound of leather on wood, the bowl, home to Hampshire County Cricket Club, will resonate to the sounds of the chart-topping band and a host of other pop talent on Saturday, August 30th.

Other stars appearing alongside Blue will be Pop Idol favourite, Darius; Sinead Quinn, from BBC's Fame Academy; the new Irish boy band, D'Side, and the '60s icon band, The Drifters.

For those who prefer a more classical approach to their music, a second concert featuring the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, TV presenter and personality, Aled Jones, and other guests will take place on Sunday, August 31st.

Both concerts will also feature a Rose Bowl Showcase which has been designed to give new talent the opportunity to experience performing to a large audience at a major event.

Tickets will be going on sale from Monday, April 28th, and the hotline is 0871-2223943.

Further information, including "early bird" promotional offers, will also be available at www.wayahead.com.

A limited number of corporate packages are also available for companies wishing to use the concerts as hospitality events.

The concerts are the first of a series of major non-sporting events planned for the Rose Bowl.

"Attracting the chart-topping and Brit Award-winning Bluehas been a fantastic coup for us," said Rod Bransgrove, chairman of the Rose Bowl.