TENOR Russell Watson will help launch a weekend of celebrations in York ahead of the Tour de France.

Russell Watson, will join X Factor favourites Rough Copy and Union J, and Kian Egan of Westlife-fame are among the line-up for a star-studded concert that will kick off a weekend of ‘Grand Départy’ celebrations in York.

Planned for the evening of Friday, July 4, the Grand Départy Concert will take place at York’s Huntington Stadium. The diverse line-up also includes York-based singer songwriter Alistair Griffin; British pop star Eylar Fox; The Loveable Rogues; 1980s bands Altered Images, Brother Beyond and the Blow Monkeys; and vocal harmony group The Overtones.

Cllr Sonja Crisp, cabinet member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: "The concert is the headline event in an exciting weekend of Grand Départy celebrations, which will ensure that York is the place to be.

"We’re absolutely thrilled to have attracted such a fantastic line-up. The sheer variety of performers is sure to appeal to family audiences; there’s plenty for younger concert-goers but also acts that their parents will enjoy."

10,000 tickets are available for the event and demand is expected to be high. Priced at £29.50 for general admission, £35 for VIP seated tickets or £100 for a family ticket (for four people), they will be on sale from www.ticketline.co.uk from this Friday.

The concert is just one element of an action-packed Grand Départy weekend planned for 4, 5 and 6 July. A host of other events and attractions will be taking place at locations across the city, including street theatre and live music.

Those who want to be at the heart of the action throughout the course of the weekend should head to City of York Council’s three Spectator Hubs at Monk Stray, the Designer Outlet and Millennium Bridge, where there will be family entertainment, big screens, refreshments, merchandise and much more. For more information about the Spectator Hubs, visit: www.experiencetherace.com