Like a phoenix rising from the ashes of the Mathew Street Festival, the new Liverpool International Music Festival promises to deliver a lot more entertainment for a lot less money.

The month-long festival will see performances from JLS, Soul II Soul, Neil Young, Little Mix, The Christians, Connie Lush and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

Part free and part paid for, it will take place across the city, with main stages in Sefton Park and on the Pier Head, as well as fringe events in venues across town.

Girl band Stooshe and X Factor star Diana Vickers will join JLS, Little Mix, Union J and Eliza Doolittle, who were announced last month as part of the paid for Turn up the Radio event at the Pier Head on Saturday, August 24.

Eliza Doolittle will perform live at the Liverpool International Music Festival
Eliza Doolittle will perform live at the Liverpool International Music Festival

Soul II Soul, Neil Young, Little Mix, The Christians, Connie Lush, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and a whole host of other acts will play free shows in Sefton Park.

Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for culture and tourism, Wendy Simon, said: “It’s great to see the festival celebrating the very best of pop music, giving fans the chance to see chart-toppers at an affordable price – and all in the stunning surroundings of our World Heritage Site.

“This is the inaugural LIMF, and we’ve already set the bar high. The Saturday line-up is packed with household names which will have mass appeal.

“There is the Party at the Pier stage on Sunday as well as the full Sefton Park programme, the fringe festival and the LIMF Academy – without a doubt Liverpool will be the place to be for music lovers.”

And it will hit full volume during bank holiday weekend from August 23-26 with performances across the city.

The festival is also taking over the historic bandstands in Sefton Park and Stanley Park and in Williamson Square with swing bands, acoustic, electronica, rock, reggae, funk, folk and ska.

Music curator for Liverpool International Music Festival, Yaw Owusu, says: “One of the main aims of the Liverpool International Music Festival is to shine a spotlight on unsigned acts and give them a platform to showcase their skills.

“The bandstands do exactly this and we want bands, singers or choirs to make the most of this opportunity and perform as part of this exciting festival.”

Liverpool International Music Festival runs from August 18-September 22.

Tickets can be bought online at www.limfestival.com or by calling 08448 24 48 24 or visiting www.axs.com.