Former Dire Straits frontman to perform at New Plymouth's Bowl

1.00pm

New Plymouth's Bowl of Brooklands looks set to host three weekends of music early next year with today's announcement that former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler is likely to play in the city.

Knopfler's official website listed the Bowl as the venue for the March 19 concert, two days before he plays in Christchurch in his only other New Zealand appearance.

Knopfler, the British guitar player who fronted the hit band Dire Straits in the 1970s and 1980s, launched his solo career in the mid-1990s.

Another highlight at the Bowl will be the 2005 World of Music and Dance Festival (Womad), with international super band REM set to play on the final Saturday in March.

- NZPA