The Streets to play BBC Electric Proms 2008

The Last Shadow Puppets, The Streets and Nitin Sawhney are amongst the first names confirmed to play at the BBC Electric Proms 2008, which takes place in London and Liverpool from 22nd to 26th October 2008.

The Last Shadow Puppets – Arctic Monkey's Alex Turner and Miles Kane of The Rascals – will play Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall, while Mike Skinner's The Streets and Mercury Music Prize nominee Nitin Sawhney are to perform in London's Roundhouse.

The festival, dedicated to creating new moments in music, will kick off in Liverpool with legendary singer Tony Christie playing on the Royal Daffodil Ferry.

BBC Radio Merseyside's Dave Monks will introduce sets from local bands Wave Machines and The Maybes in the station's performance space, while rising stars XX Teens and Wild Beasts will perform in London.

More acts will be announced for both cities in the coming weeks.

Liverpool – the European Capital of Culture – is to co-host the BBC Electric Proms for the first time at venues including the Philharmonic Hall, Barfly and Radio Merseyside. In London, shows will return to venues across Camden including the Roundhouse, Barfly, KOKO, Dingwalls and the Electric Ballroom. The festival will feature separate line-ups in the two cities.

More than 80 artists are to appear at the BBC Electric Proms 2008 and each performance will aim to create a new musical experience.

The BBC Electric Proms has also commissioned three new BBC New Music Shorts for 2008. Film makers were invited to submit ideas for inventive and original short films inspired by tracks from Roots Manuva, XX Teens and Wild Beasts earlier this year. The three successful commissions will be premiered at the BBC Electric Proms with performances from both XX Teens and Wild Beasts.

Tickets will go on sale in mid-September. Further additions to the line-up will be revealed then.