MUSIC events intended to add to attractions over the weekend of a traditional rowing festival have been scrapped because of poor ticket sales.

Both evenings of the open air music festival, scheduled to take place after racing in this weekend's Durham Regatta, were cancelled just days before the event.

The public preoccupation with the World Cup has been offered as a possible reason for the low ticket take-up for tomorrow's City Proms concert and Sunday's Irish music night due to be staged on Durham University Racecourse. Organisers said ticket-holders will receive refunds.

The Saturday proms-style show, featuring the Sunderland Symphony Orchestra, was to have finished with a rousing fireworks finale.

Sunday's Irish event was to have been headlined by U2 tribute band U2our, backed by the Wildcats of Kilkenny and Tony Corcoran.

Organisers, Durham University's sports department and Newcastle's Rival Arts, hoped to attract crowds of up to 4,000 tomorrow evening and 3,000 on Sunday.

But a Durham University spokesman said with combined sales as low as 233 it was decided to pull the plug before any more costs were incurred.

The spokesman said: "The idea of open air concerts in the North-East of England in mid-June doesn't seem to have attracted enough takers, and maybe the interest in the World Cup was a factor."

Despite the music festival sinking, the 168th Durham Regatta will take place as planned, with 560 entries ensuring races are staged every two minutes from 8.30am to 6pm both tomorrow and Sunday.