Fire and snow key elements at Oxegen

THE STAR attraction at the Oxegen Festival in Co Kildare this summer will be Canadian band Arcade Fire.

And English outfit Muse, US band Interpol and the British-based Bloc Party will also appear at the two-day event next July. Although the official line-up won’t be announced until next Wednesday, it is believe that English songstress, Amy Winehouse, will also play.

But fans of David Bowie look set to be disappointed. It now looks like Bowie, despite earlier speculation, will not appear.

Fans can also look forward to Snow Patrol, one of the top billing Irish bands, playing Oxegen 2007, which will be staged at Punchestown Racecourse in Kildare next July 7 and 8.

In all, about 90 acts will play the event. This year, promoters MCD are asking fans to vote for the bands they would like to see play the event, with online voting available at the promoter’s website, at mcd.ie.

Oxegen, which is MCD’s flagship event each summer, will be followed by rival promoter Aiken’s showcase, the Electric Picnic in September.

The Aiken event is usually pitched at an older demographic, and it is expected that details of the September line-up will be announced next month.

In all, MCD is expected to sell about 80,000 tickets for Oxegen 2007.

* Oxegen tickets will go on sale on Friday, March 2.