ISABEL COCKAYNE Indie band Embrace will be the headline act at one of next summer's open-air concerts in Thetford Forest.

ISABEL COCKAYNE

Indie band Embrace will be the headline act at one of next summer's open-air concerts in Thetford Forest.

It will be part of a seven-show tour in Forestry Commission run forests all over the country starting from June 10 in the Thetford beauty spot.

But the date clashes with the first round of the 2006 World Cup when England plays Paraguay.

The announcement follows the incredibly successful forest concerts when pop stars Madness, the Beautiful South, Daniel Bedingfield and Ian Brown attracted a total of 20,000 people to Thetford Forest over two weekends in June and July.

All 6000 Beautiful South tickets sold very quickly and a further 6000 delighted Madness fans snapped up their concert tickets within an astonishing three days.

Embrace are finishing of their next album, due out in spring, which will follow up the 2004 double platinum selling Out Of Nothing.

Embrace front man Danny McNamara said that in the past the band had played secret gigs in the forest.

"We've played in some unusual places over the last few years; caves, beaches, even the Big Brother house. But next year we're trying something special even for us. These gigs are on a much bigger scale, they are going to be something else. The new album will be out by then and it gives us a great opportunity to play our new songs in really spectacular settings."

Tickets are priced £23 for all shows and go on general sale from 9am on Friday December 16, 2005, and are available on 01842 814612 and from www.ticketmaster.co.uk