Music legend Barry Manilow is to join this year's BBC Proms In The Park – the annual extravaganza held in London's Hyde Park, and broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 – that allows music lovers to enjoy the magic and passion of the much-loved Last Night of the Proms.

It is to be his only UK concert in 2009.

With worldwide record sales exceeding 75 million, his work as a singer, songwriter, arranger and producer has cemented Barry Manilow as a leading and much adored legend in the entertainment world.

With hits such as Mandy, Can't Smile Without You and Copacabana, combined with his Las Vegas residencies selling out instantly, his success has become a benchmark in popular music.

Bob Shennan, Radio 2 Controller, says: "Everyone at Radio 2 is delighted that Barry Manilow will headline BBC Proms In The Park in September.

"Barry Manilow is one of the giants of world showbusiness and the fans in the park and our Radio 2 listeners are in for a treat."

He joins a star-studded line-up that includes the award-winning mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, who performs at the London Proms In The Park concert for the very first time.

The event also sees performances from acclaimed Icelandic tenor sensation Garoar Thor Cortes and the BBC Concert Orchestra under the baton of Martin Yates.

It culminates in a live video link-up with the Royal Albert Hall and a nationwide sing-along to traditional favourites including Jerusalem and Rule Britannia! with the help of the Royal Choral Society.

As ever, crowds are encouraged to bring picnics and flags, to sing along and enjoy the music and fireworks.

Tribute bands to two of the world's best rock groups start the entertainment in the afternoon's warm-up events, which is hosted by Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce.

The Counterfeit Stones entertain with their individual take on The Rolling Stones and Gary Mullen and The Works prepare audiences for the main event with the best of Queen.

This year's Proms In The Park follows the success of last year's event, which featured Sharleen Spiteri, Jose Carreras and Lesley Garrett.

Barry Manilow fans across the UK will be able to tune into the Hyde Park concert and watch him live by pressing the red button during the Last Night Of The Proms on BBC Two.

Viewers can also watch him on BBC iPlayer for seven days after the event, as part of the Hyde Park Prom.

Now an integral part of the UK's musical calendar, BBC Proms In The Park is hosted, for its 14th year, by Sir Terry Wogan, in Hyde Park.

The event, supported by NS&I (National Savings & Investments), on Saturday 12 September 2009, is one of five major outdoor shows staged by the BBC in five locations across all four nations of the UK – Glasgow, County Down, Salford, Swansea and London – which bring the magic of the Last Night Of The Proms to many thousands of music lovers around the UK.

The expanding programme of BBC Big Screens takes Proms In The Park even further around the country including Bradford (Centenary Square), Bristol (Millennium Square), Cardiff (The Hayes), Derby (Market Place), Hull (Queen Victoria Square), Leeds (Millennium Square), Liverpool (Clayton Square), Manchester (Exchange Square), Middlesbrough (Centre Square), Norwich (Chapelfield Plain), Plymouth (Armada Way), Portsmouth (Guildhall Square), Rotherham (All Saints Square), Swansea (Castle Square), Swindon (Wharf Green),Waltham Forest (Walthamstow Town Square) and other UK cities where new screens are currently being commissioned.

From RapidTalent's Industry Buzz reporter Jason Nicholls on 08/06/2009.