The Brighton Festival will celebrate 44 years of quality art and culture events, by appointing legendary producer, musician, video artist and ambient godfather, Brian Eno for their2010 extravaganza. Next year's events will begin on Saturday 1st May (Bank Holiday) and run until Sunday 23rd May and will include numerous gallery exhibitions and installations, curated and created by Eno himself. He has just recently curated the Sydney Opera House Luminous Festival.

The first council-funded 'Britefest' was held in 1967 and featured Laurence Olivier and Yehudi Menuhin and has since won several tourism and art awards for its efforts. Last year's festival was curated by sculptor Anish Kapoor who exhibited six works himself, as well as turning the city into an art gallery. Over 300,000 people attended thus proving how busy and highly-regarded this next event will be.

Brian Eno has confirmed a few exhibition works already. That reflect just how broad his palette can be. Performance dates will be confirmed next year.

Firstly, his beautiful 'Apollo' soundtrack (released in 1983) will be performed by the contemporary new orchestra, Icebreaker (previously premiered at the IMAX cinema at London's Science Museum). This remarkable landmark set will also feature NASA footage projections, digitally enhanced. Secondly, the 2006 visual feast, '77 Million Paintings', will form part of the 'free' programmes throughout the three-week festival. Thirdly, numerous sound installations will permeate the Brighton streets at regular intervals.

As well as Brian's own work, there will be a dance performance of Hofesh Shecter's 'Political Mother' by his own troupe as well as drummers and guitarists, local performance artists 'dreamthinkspeak' preparing an installation in a central derelict building (inspired by Chekov) -this is a premiere - and 'Best Before', a video-console inspired work involving the interaction of participants who ultimately control their own, and others, destiny through their actions.

Tickets for the events will be announced during February next year and we will keep you up to date with the highlights.