TICKETS to hear the voice of Welsh singing sensation Katherine Jenkins will go on sale when The Riverfront box office opens for business today.

Tickets for the gala concert to celebrate the opening of the £16million theatre and arts centre in Newport are expected to sell fast.

Michelle Perez, marketing manager for The Riverfront, said: "We are expecting a huge response and I hope the tickets will be sold out in a week.

"Katherine Jenkins seems to be a very popular singer right now. I've had many calls from people waiting with bated breath for the tickets."

The Gala Concert starring Katherine Jenkins, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Greater Gwent Youth Choir will kick off the evening celebrations on Saturday, October 23, at 7.30pm.

Ticket prices start at £20 and are limited to two per booker. The Riverfront will be open to the public over the opening weekend with a mixture of professional and community performances, taster sessions and events for people to enjoy and join in with.

The opening celebrations will then carry on with the energetic and charismatic comedian, Bradley Walsh, on Sunday, October 24, at 7.30pm. Tickets start at £14.

Ms Perez is helping put autumn events together for the theatre and said: "It's shaping up nicely and will be a varied programme of drama, dance, ballet, opera, light entertainment and community events.

"The box office will be run through the council's call centre. It's going to work incredibly well and it shouldn't be difficult to get through to someone. There will be 25 people answering the phones. Many theatres have only two."

Also on sale this week are tickets to the new theatre's first pantomime, Aladdin, which is set to star Byker Grove's Sarah Lawton, Balamory's Kasia Haddad, Robert Duncan (Drop the Dead Donkey) and Trevor Bannister (Are You Being Served?). Box office lines: 01633 656 757.