SOUTHAMPTON'S biggest free music event will take over the city today.

With 20 venues and 1,000 artists appearing in more than 150 acts, Music in the City is back for its eighth outing and is bigger than ever before.

The musical extravaganza offers something for everyone in a host of unusual places around Southampton, including the city's 800 year old vaults, which are rarely opened to the public.

From rock to jazz and classical to Americana, every genre of music is catered for in a host of quirky venues, which also include the SS Shieldhall, the largest working steamship in Britain.

Organised by former Southampton mayor Linda Norris, the annual event aims to celebrate the array of musical talent from the city and further afield.

It is supported by hundreds of talented musicians young and old who give up their time for free to entertain enthusiastic crowds.

Today the main bulk of the programme takes place with everywhere from the Dancing Man Brewery to the ruins of Holyrood Church providing a backdrop for the action.

The Voice star Harry Fisher is among the artists to appear in The Marlands, a space curated by talent scout Rosalind Fountain to showcase musical stars of the future.

Teenage internet sensations The Mini Band will make an appearance onboard SS Shieldhall, while Samba reggae band Batala and the Southampton Ukelele Jam make up part of a lively line up at Holyrood Church.

Singer songwriter Nick Tann, folk favourite Brian Hooper and acoustic / folk singer songwriter Jim Chorley will continue their impressive run of having appeared in every Music in the City since its launch in 2009.

Free heritage buses will run between venues all day today.

Here's your guide to what's on, where and when...

Castle Vault, Western Esplanade
1pm Notice to the Builder 
2pm Frankie Knight 
3pm Self & The Sound 
4pm Mark Vennis & Different Place 
5pm Tuba-Libres 
6pm Jonathan Klein
6.30pm PS_Perrystone Hill 
7.30pm Ken Wood & The Mixers 
8.30pm Soul Catchers 


Dancing Man Brewery, Town Quay 
1pm Tony Arthur 
1.30pm Jo Long & The Pure Drop 
2.15pm Coastel
3pm Project Dos 
3.45pm Acoustic Roulette 
4.30pm Terminal Fear
5.15pm Ian Booker 


Grand Cafe, South Western House
1pm Skiffueles
1.45pm Barton Court Studio
3.15pm Olly Williams 
3.45pm Jonathan Klein 
4.30pm Foot/Long
5.10pm Izzi Moulsdale 
5.40pm Ryan Bishop


Guildhall Square, West Marlands Road
1pm Southampton Wind & Brass Bands 
2pm St Andrews Pipe Band 
4pm Massed Gospel Choir 


Holyrood Church, High Street 
Noon BIG HEART SING with Blue Sky Choir, Salty Sea Dogs, Chessel Chanters and Sounds Lively Singers 
1.30pm Batala 
2pm Southampton Ukelele Jam 
2.45pm Batala 
3.15pm Song Now Choir 


King John’s Palace, Western Esplanade 
1pm The Quadranauts 
1.45pm The Elderleys
2.30pm Stratton’s Acumulus 
3.15pm Wessex Chordsmen
4pm Pammie Moore 
Break
6.30pm Nathan Cannon 
7.15pm Cinnamon Jazz 
8pm Goldrush


Lancaster Vault, High Street 
1pm Born Awkward
1.50pm Calcium 
2.40pm Mad King Ludwig & the Mojo Co.
3.30pm Elixir 
4.20pm MOD TOWN
5.10pm 71 Chain 


The Marlands, Civic Centre Road 
Noon Calvin Glen, Nicole McNally, Teen Ambition, Nathan Cannon, Lucy Smith 
1pm Tallulah Tilt, Nathanael, Bethany Rose, Harry Fisher
2pm Bella Nicholas, Pammie Moore, Ryan Bishop
3pm Georgia Carr, Ian Booker, Tara Flanagan 
Mettricks Guildhall, Guildhall Place 
1pm Pammie Moore 
1.30pm Neil Anderson
2pm Ron May 
2.30pm When Harry Met Alli 
3.30pm Christen Simmonds 
4.05pm Justin Capps 
4.45pm Zen Juddhism 
5.45pm Solomon 
6.45pm Richard Taunton’s Musicians
7.45pm The Flukes 


Mettricks High Street, High Street 
1pm Sarah Saville 
1.35pm Fragile Lucy 
2.10pm Lewis Brown 
2.45pm The Outsiders 
3.20pm Ben Harvey 
3.55pm Steve Lowis 
4.40pm Riskology Radcliffe & Daniel Eagle 
5.20pm Andy Osman 
6.05pm Victoria Reid


Notes Café, Hanover Buildings 
1pm Bob Pearce Trio 
2pm Chateau Bateau Band 
3pm The Slack 5
4pm Manoir Dreams 
5pm The Alaskan Pipeline 
5.45pm The Real Raj
6.30pm Winters Hill 


Platform Tavern, Town Quay 
1pm Ian Booker 
1.30pm Alex Hedley 
2pm Andy Osman 
2.30pm Calum Lintott 
3.30pm Joe Mongan 
4pm Radioactive Bones 
5pm Wire-JD 
5.30pm Coastel 


Station Quarter, Nelson Gate 
1pm Twangdillo 
1.45pm The Flying Alexanders 
2.45pm Jambone 
3.45pm Guitar Store House Band 
4.15pm The Piranha Brothers


SS Shieldhall. Dock Gate 4
1pm Nick Tann 
1.30pm The Brittz
2.30pm Sarah Saville 
3pm The Mini Band 
4pm Ben Goddard & the Sons of Indigo 
5pm Neko Roshi 
6pm These Septic Stars Alongside the Endurance fairground organ 


The Stage Door, West Marlands Road 
1pm Nick Haynes 
1.30pm Erik Kavanagh
2pm Jack Howson
2.30pm James Baillie
3.15pm Shimmering Bees 
4pm En Masse Rock & Pop Choir
4.45pm The Etlins 
5.30pm Southampton Gay Mens Chorus 
6.15pm Spindlefish
7pm Victoria Bass 


Talking Heads, The Polygon
1pm G Floyd D
1.40pm Delicious Sounds 
2.30pm Pianoman Justie 
3.10pm Nicole McNally 
3.40pm Calvin Glen 
4.10pm Shy Boy 
5.10pm Teen Ambition 
5.40pm Tara Flanagan 


Undercroft Vault 
1pm Central Hall Community Choir 
1.45pm 3p Suite 
2.30pm Tom Martin 
3pm Wire-JD
3.40pm One Tonne Son 
4.25pm Johnny Boxcars 
5.10pm Sombrero Fallout 


Westgate Hall, Westgate Street 
1pm Bourne to Swing 
2pm Ruby Blue 
3pm Blues Chapter 2
3.40pm The Burns Unit 
4.40pm Twangdillo 
5.20pm Zenthetix 


Victor Hugo, High Street
Southampton Meets Black History Month 
1pm Brian Hooper, Jim Chorley, Barry Wake & Pete Atkins. Join in with songs about Southampton with these well known and well loved local folk singers and balladeers!
3pm Lennon Taylor 
3.30pm The Unity 101 Singing Group
4pm LST
4.30pm Michael O’Leary – Storyteller 
5pm Michael Brown 
5.30pm Daniel Eagle

Tomorrow a programme of classical music takes over St Mary's Church. City of Southampton Orchestra and Southampton Philharmonic Choir present a selection of beautiful music, including the Mozart Clarinet Concerto.

They're followed by a variety set from Southampton's popular flute orchestra Flautissimo and Southampton Folk Orchestra.