Luciano Pavarotti has pulled out of the Llangollen Festival

The heavyweight tenor was due to appear at the festival on Saturday, 5 July, for the first in a series of farewell concerts before his retirement in 2005.

Llangollen Eisteddfod chief executive Gwyn Williams has confirmed that Pavarotti has pulled out of the event.

"We were told by Pavarotti's agents that he had decided that instead of starting his farewell tour in Llangollen, he wants to finish it in Llangollen and give his very last concert here in 2005," he said.

First appearance

Pavarotti appeared at the festival in 1955 at the age of 19, in what was his first concert in the UK.

When the young Pavarotti first visited the north Wales town, he travelled with his father as a member of the Chorale Rossini, a male chorus from his hometown of Modena.

When the Italians won first prize in the male chorus competition the young artist enjoyed public recognition for the first time.

He returned to the eisteddfod 40 years later in 1995 to perform in front of a sell-out crowd.

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