THE BBC's Last Night of the Proms will this year feature orchestras from Gateshead's new Baltic Square as well as the Royal Albert Hall.

On Saturday, September 15, the musical extravaganza, which attracts more than 100m television viewers worldwide, is one of the inaugural events of the £70m Music Centre Gateshead, presented by musicnorth.

Northern Sinfonia, Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell and her band, folk musician and co-director of Folkworks, Alistair Anderson, and the Sinfonia Chorus will earlier entertain the Gateshead audience.

Favourite performances, such as Rule Britannia and Jerusalem, will be relayed live on a giant screen. Then Northern Sinfonia and the BBC Symphony will perform Land of Hope and Glory in harmony. A spectacular firework finale will close the event.

Gateshead Borough Council Leader, Coun George Gill, said: "Events like Proms in the Park are an international showcase for the talent we have in our region and will be a great boost for our bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2008."

Tickets priced at £12 go on sale from Monday, by calling Freephone 0800 953 0070. The event is standing only, but there will be wheelchair access.