AN outdoor concert headlined by X Factor runner-up Olly Murs is set to sell out after slashing prices on more than 1,000 tickets.

Instead of paying £35, revellers can now watch the gig in Middlesbrough’s Centre Square on Friday, June 7, for £20 - a reduction of 43 per cent - by purchasing tickets on internet discount site, Groupon.

The performance will also feature X Factor stars Diana Vickers and home-grown talent, Amelia Lily.

By this afternoon about 1,000 fans had snapped up cut price tickets for the 5,000 capacity venue which is 450 away from selling out.

Olly Murs played Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle in February this year when tickets cost £30.

Neil Winterbottom, of Loose Cannon promoters which is hosting the event in Middlesbrough, insisted they had not originally been too expensive.

“It is the calibre you are paying for. When you are dealing with artists like Olly Murs it comes with a price tag.

“The area is traditionally late at buying tickets. We have offered some discounted ones to make it a really memorable sold-out occasion,” he added. “This concert will set a benchmark. It shows there is a market there and hopefully this will be the start of us bringing other top names to the town.”

A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: “The high-profile event will showcase Centre Square as one of the region's leading outdoor entertainment venues and Middlesbrough as a great place to host such large scale events."

It will act as a launch-pad for the multi-cultural Middlesbrough Mela weekend on June 8 and 9 which will see tens of thousands of people visit the town over three days.