THIS year's Maindee Festival has been taken over by aliens, space freaks and fleets of UFOs from the furthest reaches of the galaxy.

The annual music and carnival happening on tomorrow will see floats on an 'out of this world' theme parade throughout Newport.

It starts at 12am in the old Fairoak School building on Church Road and takes in Hereford Street, Harrow Road, Eton Road, and Corporation Road before landing at the Newport Rugby Ground at 1pm.

A 25ft bubble-blowing silver rocket will lead the parade of giant aliens, other UFOs and, in keeping with Newport's musical past, a platoon of cyber punks-phazers are set to outrage.

Organisers estimate on past events that at least one thousand people will join in with the parade.

They will jump to the rhythms of Batatan, a Newport- based samba street drummer band, and RePercussioN, a samba posse from Powys. It's taken a large number of people from local schools and community groups just to get the parade ready, says organiser Andy O'Rourke.

"Last year's was amazing - but 2004 looks like being even better," he said.

"It's brilliant to watch, but why not get dressed up and hit the streets with us!"

The convoy of things from outer space will corral on ground beside Newport Rugby Club for an afternoon of music.

Admission to the site is free and you can expect a mix of world music, arts and dance, workshops, story telling, food and drink, DJs, MCs, breakdancers and market stalls.

l Shafqut Khan (MC Koleone - Maindee's hip-hop master - has put together a programme of Pill-Maindee based MCs in the Main Tent from 1pm to 6pm, featuring DJ Andre (anchoring the afternoon session), Devious Crew (garage, hip-hop, freestyle, reggae), Skunk the Drunk, MC BeeZ (garage, ragga, hip-hop, RnB), who are an all- girl outfit from Liswerry High School.

l The World and Jazz Stage features the usual eclectic mix and, just back from Glastonbury, Cardiff's Spiral Brothers will be the afternoon DJs. Look out for Bexley Somali Group at 2pm. This talented group of musicians and dancers have played at WOMAD and numerous other festivals but this is their first trip to Wales and a rare chance to hear traditional Somali music.

The Bernadette Reed Combo (3.15pm) is back with more of their cool lounge jazz.

Anatolia (4.30pm) are a London-based band who sing in Kurdish, Armenian and Turkish.

In the Camel Acoustic Tent there's Newport Brass Band, Newport Community Circus, Yemeni music from Nabil Raham and St Julian's Steel Pan Group - plus African and Afro-Brazilian percussion sessions to join in or watch.

For something a bit quieter, young and old will enjoy storytelling by Richard Berry and there's also a discussion on refugees led by Deeqa Abdirahman, from the Bexley Somali Group at 3pm.

The 2000 Festival featured a popular session of dance performances in the Rodney Hall.

This is being repeated this year with performances from Duffyn Community Link (Lesa Pates), Indian Dance Group (Madhvi Dalal), EYK, Channel View / Star Dancers, Y.O.O. Street Dance, Beaufort Centre Dancers, Maindee Dancers, Eye to Eye, YMCA Youth Club (Nikita and Ainsley Webb) and The Edge.

The music continues into the evening with a gig from 8pm to 11.30pm at the Rugby Clubhouse featuring E Squared (Newport band), Tim Crahart (ex-Tin Pan Alley blues guitarist) and Mabon (one of Wales best Celtic music bands). For info surf to www.maindee.org or dial 01633 762155.