The upcoming Bermuda Music Festival has already attracted over a thousand visitors to the Island.

?We have sold more than 1,000 tickets with 300 of that total being sold as travel packages to visitors coming to the Island for the event? said Minister of Tourism and Transport Dr. Ewart Brown.

Tickets to the event organised by the Department of Tourism have also gone on sale locally.

The star-studded event, formerly known as the Bermuda Jazz Festival, will feature among the line-up Seal, Isaac Hayes and Anita Baker. It will run from October 7-10 with stage events taking place at the Royal Naval Dockyard.

Last year the Bermuda Jazz Festival boasted a record attendance with more than 10,000 people attending over the course of the three-day event.

This year the Tourism Department hopes to surpass that number with a particular force on attracting visitors from overseas to the event.

?Annually the Bermuda Music Festival is a very significant time for us...

?It is our goal at the Department of Tourism to continue to sponsor events that attract visitors to the Island,? said Dr. Brown.

The tickets to the event will range in price from $60 general admission to $85 for reserved seating. Three-day passes are also available at $160 for general admission and $230 for reserved seating.

The host for the main stage events in Dockyard October 7, 8 and 9 will be US comedian Earthquake.

On Thursday night the feature performer will be Seal.

On Friday there will be performances by the O?Jays, Isaac Hayes and Keiko Matsui. On Saturday, Grammy Award winner Anita Baker will perform in addition to Gerald Albright.

Elito Reve y su Charangon will perform on Wednesday, October 6 at Hamilton Princess? Outdoor Terrace and Kindred will perform on October 10 at the Fairmont Southampton Beach Club.