Mathew Street festival preview - 2009

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 9th Jun 2009

More than 300 bands have been booked to perform at this year's Mathew Street Music Festival in Liverpool.

Plans are well advanced for the two-day August Bank Holiday music extravaganza - the largest of its type in Europe.

This year's event will feature 90 bands performing on six outdoor stages on Sunday 30 and Monday 31 August from 11am to 6pm.

There will also be indoor performances at another 50 bars and clubs across the city centre until late.

New for 2009 will be 'themed stages' focusing on cultures which have influenced Liverpool music including America, Ireland, country and western as well as 80s and rock.

There will also be stages for Beatles tribute bands, Merseybeat music (Liverpool Then), and the city's best up-and-coming acts (Liverpool Now).

The Mathew Street fringe festival, which debuted last year, is to be repeated and expanded with around 40 venues taking part.

Council leader Warren Bradley said: "The Mathew Street Music Festival is a major highlight of the city's cultural calendar and each year we are building it and making it bigger and better.

"Elements we introduced in 2008 such as the new locations for the stages and the fringe festival were very well received by the hundreds of thousands of visitors and I want us to build on that success this year..

"The quality, variety and breadth of the music means there will be something for the whole family to enjoy in a safe environment - and crucially it is all free of charge.

"It is a vibrant, exciting and fun festival which transforms the city centre into a giant concert arena, celebrating the best of Liverpool music old and new."

Around half of the acts performing at the Festival are new to the event, with many travelling from across the world to perform.

This year, there will also be a stage dedicated to the memory of Radio City broadcaster Phil Easton, who died earlier this year. It will feature some of his favourite music performed by original and tribute acts.

Bill Heckle, one of the directors of Mathew Street Ltd, said: "Phil Easton was a great supporter of the Mathew Street Music Festival right from day one, and it is only fitting and right that we should mark his tremendous contribution to music this year.

"The diversity of the festival continues to grow every year, and we have had an overwhelming response from bars and clubs keen to make their own contribution to the event by putting on entertainment.

"We are all set for another fantastic music festival which celebrates Liverpool and its music in all of its forms."

The outdoor stages will be located at:

Queensway (Birkenhead) Tunnel entrance

Derby Square

Williamson Square

Tithebarn Street - by the Superlambanana

Exchange Street

Water Street - at Drury Lane

Full details of the bands performing at this year's festival will be revealed in July, along with a brand new website.

Why not follow the festival on Twitter to keep up with the latest news. Just go to http://twitter.com/mathewstreet