Thousands of visitors from across the world will be flocking to Cardiff this summer, to take part in dozens of events and festivals marking the city`s centenary as a city and 50th year as capital of Wales.

Many of the popular annual festivals are returning bigger and better than ever, with enhancements including a visit from the Trinidad Blue Devils for the MAS Carnival in August and the addition of dancers from Cardiff`s twin cities of Nantes, Stuttgart and Hordaland for the Gwyl Ifan Welsh folk dance festival.

New events include the Cardiff Dance Festival, featuring performers from Wales, Australia, Argentina, Spain, America and Romania; The Cardiff Design Festival; The Cardiff Drama Festival and The Cardiff Bay Canoeing Festival with demonstrations and canoe master-classes as well as races and water polo competitions.

The Urdd youth organisation will also hold their National Eisteddfod in Cardiff Bay for the first time. Over 15,000 children from across Wales will be taking part in a week of competitions and musical performances on the stage of the new Wales Millennium Centre. Free translation services will also be provided for non-Welsh speakers during the event.

Musical festivals will include the biennial BBC Singer of the World Competition, the World Port Music Festival, the Compass Point Music Festival and the Welsh Proms, which this year features the opera prom with Bryn Terfal and the jazz prom with Gwyneth Herbert.

Richard Jones, general manager of The Cardiff Initiative, said: Cardiff will easily be the festival capital of Britain this summer. The range of festivals and events taking place in Cardiff this year is fantastic, and they present a great opportunity for everyone to join in with the anniversary celebrations and enjoy the best the city has to offer.