Feel-good factor: Shirley Bassey is to headline the eisteddfod

The Cardiff-born superstar will perform at the eisteddfod's gala night on Sunday, 13 July.

Confirmation of Dame Shirley's appearance follows months of negotiations behind the scenes to bring the singer to north Wales.

The Llangollen International Eisteddfod is a major event in the music calendar, attracting 80,000 visitors each year.

The week-long event brings in more than �6m to the local economy but organisers hope to exceed that figure in 2003 with the "feel-good" factor generated by Dame Shirley's presence.

Stars

Jose Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti, Nigel Kennedy, Bryn Terfel, James Galway and Yehudi Menuhin are among the stars who have performed at the event in recent years.

Event spokesman Nigel Davies said: "Shirley Bassey is probably the biggest non-classical name we have had.

"I believe it is the first time she has performed in this part of north Wales, certainly at Llangollen.

"It is certainly something different from our normal Sunday gala.

"Shirley certainly has her own following, which is slightly difference to our normal audience."

Cash boost: Llangollen again prepares to welcome the euro

The international eisteddfod will also repeat its highly successful Euro Zone experiment, with both sterling and euro accepted in many shops and restaurants during the week-long event.

"We want to work closely with the town and we are also thinking about a Dollar Zone at the festival as well," confirmed Mr Davies.

While Dame Shirley tops the Sunday night gala bill, the organisers are also proud of the rest of the event's line-up.

Jazz singer Cleo Lane will perform on Friday 11 July, while the Harlem Gospel Choir will sing on Thursday.

On Monday 7 July, there will be an evening of music hosted by the Prince's Trust.

A Caribbean carnival on the Tuesday night is another departure from the eisteddfod's normal musical repertoire.