MORE than 1,000 performers from 130 different acts will take to the stage in 16 venues across the city this weekend.

Enjoy music from Americana to jazz, classical to punk rock and choirs to solo performers.

Southampton's premier free live music event, Music in the City, returns for its seventh consecutive year tomorrow.

After a bumper crowd of more than 15,000 last year, organisers have added more venues and performers, making the festival the biggest to date.

From open air spaces such as Holyrood Church (pictured), King John's Palace and Guildhall Square to the intimate, underground medieval vaults that are rarely open to the public, Music in the City boasts a host of unique concert settings.

There will be new stages at The Stage Door, Dancing Man Brewery and Grand Cafe, while a favourite from last year, SS Shieldhall, the oldest working steamship in the country, will be used again.

There will also be vintage buses ferrying visitors between venues all day tomorrow when most of the gigs will take place.

The Southampton Philharmonic Choir and City of Southampton Orchestra will perform an extra concert at Southampton Art Gallery on Sunday.

Festival founder and organiser Cllr Linda Norris, the Mayor of Southampton, has arranged for collections to be made for her charities this year - The Rose Road Association, The Saints Foundation and Southampton Air Cadets.

The free festival offers a fantastic range of musical delights performed in some of the city's quirkiest places.

The Vaults are normally only open for guided tours, but tomorrow you will be able to view our historic city in all its glory as a host of musicians bring Southampton alive with music.

Johnny Boxcars John McCurry said : "The Southampton music scene is absolutely buzzing just now - from the venues that give us a platform and the musicians who are part of it. But without those who go to see live bands, we wouldn't have the opportunity to do our thing. Music in The City is a great festival at the heart of the scene. I mean, take a look at the line-up this year, and the number of spaces open to performance, It's incredible really. We're very much looking forward to being involved."

Dan O Farrell, singer in Accrington Stanley, added: "I can't wait to play 'Music in the City' again this year. Something about the sudden emergence of music from mostly-forgotten vaults, crypts and cellars seems to bring the best out of bands, audiences and way-laid shoppers. It's the Southampton music scene version of the Edinburgh festival but cheaper and with fewer bagpipes."

Saturday October 3

94 High Street

  • 1pm-4pm The Southampton Music Hub Showcase. The best of our schools music, performed by pupils from across Southampton.

Art Gallery, Civic Centre Road

  • 1pm Bourne To Swing
  • 2pm The Sea Slugs
  • 3pm Sorcha Rose
  • 3.30pm Quortl
  • 4.15pm Southampton Choral Society

Castle Vault, Western Esplanade

  • 1pm 12:34
  • 1.45pm Bob Pearce Trio
  • 2.40pm The Horse
  • 3.35pm Soul & Fire
  • 4.30pm Brother Goose
  • 5.30pm Ben Goddard
  • 6.30pm Alli & Sarah
  • 7.30pm Perrystone Hill
  • 8.30pm Ken Wood and the Mixers

Dancing Man Brewery, Town Quay

  • 1pm Sunflower
  • 1.45pm 3 Piece Suite
  • 2.30pm Sarah Saville
  • 3pm Victoria Bass
  • 3.45pm Fragile Lucy
  • 4.15pm Sleeping Tigers
  • 5pm Lucy Kitchen
  • 5.30pm The Lowis Lanes
  • 6.15pm Amy Marsden

Grand Cafe, South Western House

  • 1pm Blues Chippins
  • 1.30pm Izzi Mousdale
  • 2pm Quattrio
  • 2.30pm Lucy Smith
  • 3pm Joe Mongan
  • 3.30pm Elaine McLaughlin
  • 4pm Nathan Cannon
  • 4.30pm Liberty Grant
  • 5pm Bargate Brigadiers
  • 5.30pm Neil Anderson

Guildhall Square, West Marlands Road

  • 1pm Vox Pop Choir
  • 2pm Southampton Ukelele Jam
  • 2.45pm Batala
  • 3.15pm St Andrews Pipe Band
  • 3.45pm Southampton University Brass Band

Holyrood Church, High Street

  • 1pm Batala
  • 1.30pm St Andrews Pipe Band
  • 2pm Pond Life
  • 3pm One Root
  • 3.40pm Sing Now Choir

King John's Palace, Western Esplanade

  • 1pm Gold Rush
  • 1.45pm Three Choirs Big Sing - Chessel Chanters & Blue Sky Choirs
  • 2.45pm Not Made in China
  • 3.30pm Wessex Chordsmen
  • 4.15pm Skiffuleles
  • 5pm Pammie Moore
  • 7.30pm Nathan Cannon
  • 8pm The Real Raj
  • 8.30pm Straight To Cake
  • 9pm Twangdillo

Lancaster Vault, High Street

  • 1pm The Rising
  • 1.50pm The Elixir
  • 2.40pm Howland
  • 3.30pm Ripple Effect
  • 4.20pm These Septic Stars
  • 5.10pm Pilot House

The Marlands, Civic Centre Road

  • 12pm Lucy Smith, Nicole McNally, Calvin Glen, Sorcha Rose
  • 1pm Tallulah Tilt, Sarah Batt, Nathanael
  • 2pm Teen Ambition, Pammie Moore, Nathan Cannon
  • 3pm Yazzy, Tara Flanagan, Ian Booker

Mettricks, High Street

  • 1pm David Blackburn
  • 1.30pm Jack Howson
  • 2pm Empty Frets
  • 2.40pm Free Reason
  • 3.20pm The Lowis Lanes
  • 3.50pm Erin Niamh
  • 4.20pm Chloe Denyer
  • 4.50pm Christen Simmonds
  • 5.20pm Tom Hansford
  • 5.50pm Josh McCormick
  • 6.20pm CoMASo
  • 6.50pm Nina Schofield
  • 7.20pm Ben Harvey
  • 7.50pm Tony Arthur
  • 8.20pm Jack Dale

Platform Tavern, Town Quay

  • 1pm Ian Booker
  • 1.30pm Dan O'Farrell
  • 2pm The Diamond Age
  • 2.50pm The Slack 5
  • 3.40pm Jim Chorley
  • 4.20pm Instead of Flowers
  • 5.10pm Vicki Musselwhite

SS Shieldhall

  • 1pm Nick Tann
  • 1.35pm Mini Band
  • 2.25pm Johnny Boxcars
  • 3.15pm Sarah Harrison Band
  • 4.05pm Winters Hill
  • 4.55pm Zenthetix
  • 5.45pm 71 Chain

The Stage Door, West Marlands Road

  • 1pm Jazz Therapy
  • 1.45pm Coastel
  • 2.30pm Indigo Avenue
  • 3.15pm Just Millie
  • 3.45pm One Tonne Son
  • 4.30pm CatRatchers
  • 5.30pm Paper Trains
  • 6.15pm Sarah Saville
  • 6.45pm Victoria Bass

Undercroft Vault, Upper Bugle Street

  • 1pm Central Hall Gospel Community Choir
  • 1.30pm Sombrero Fallout
  • 2.15pm Bone Idle
  • 3pm Jack Francis
  • 3.30pm Girl Next Door
  • 4pm The Outsiders
  • 4.30pm Owers and Harries
  • 5pm Jo Long and the Pure Drop

The Weigh House Courtyard, French Street

  • 1pm Wire
  • 1.30pm The Etlins
  • 2pm Botyov1791
  • 2.30pm Sammy Kettell
  • 3pm Bar:Ton
  • 3.30pm Foot/Long
  • 4pm Grant Sharkey
  • 4.40pm RSJ Blues and jam

The Weigh House Vault, French Street

  • 1pm Zen Juddhism
  • 1.50pm Le Lizard Royale
  • 2.40pm Radioactive Bones
  • 3.30pm BullyBones
  • 4.20pm The Costelloes
  • 5.10pm Superdrone
  • 6pm Accrington Stanley

Sunday October 4

Art Gallery, Civic Centre Road

  • 2pm Southampton Philharmonic Choir and City of Southampton Orchestra
  • 3pm Flautissimo
  • 3.30pm Lizzy Bennie