FRESH from last weekend’s Olympic closing ceremony, Fatboy Slim and Tinie Tempah head up the first batch of names announced for this year’s Arthur’s Day. The Guinness-sponsored event – now in its fourth year – will see big international names mix with Irish musicians in venues around the country on September 27th.

Also on the bill is Ellie Goulding, whose second album Halcyon is released in October; London rappers Professor Green and Example; pop singer Mika; Scottish rockers Texas and fellow Scot singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald. More names, including a strong Irish contingent, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Organisers promise that this year will be the biggest Arthur's Day to date as they have expanded their scope to more than 500 free events in pubs around the country. No tickets will go on sale this year, so it's a lucky dip in the best sense. Punters can also vote for one of the headline artists to play their local via guinness.com, although, in keeping with the spirit of the event, the winning pubs won't be announced until the night itself.