THIS year's Plymouth Summer Festival line-up has been unveiled – and organisers say it will be bigger and better than last year.

The festival, which will run in the city between next month and September, began in 2007 and was a bigger success last summer – but the city leaders at the launch said this year's programme of events would be the best yet.

David Draffan, chief executive of the Plymouth City Centre Company, said: "It is all about encouraging people during the summer months to come to our city and have a great time."

There will be hundreds of events as part of Plymouth Summer Festival this year. Organisers boast it is one of the best seasonal events programmes in the UK.

A brochure, of which 30,000 will be placed in hotels, bed and breakfasts and guest houses across the South West, was launched along with the line-up at the Big Screen in the centre yesterday.

Mr Draffan said: "It is one of the best events brochures I have seen nationally."

The festival's four months will feature an array of events which are set to attract tens of thousands to the city.

Highlights include Rod Stewart at Home Park on July 2, the OSTAR Single-Handed Transatlantic Race on May 25, VolksFest from May 22 to 25, and the Barbican International Jazz and Blues Festival, from May 1 to May 10.

One of the festival's organisers, Dan Thompson, said: "It's going to be as good as, if not better than, last year."

For details, visit the www.plymouth summerfestival.com website.

To see footage of the festival line-up launch yesterday go to the www.thisisplymouth. co.uk website.