THOUSANDS of music fans in Bahrain last night turned out to watch Il Divo play a sold-out show at the Bahrain National Theatre.

The show is the grandest among flagship events organised by the Culture Ministry’s Spring of Culture programme and its year-long celebrations of Manama as the Arab Capital of Tourism 2013.

Il Divo holds over 150 gold and platinum awards and has sold over 25 million albums and 2m concert tickets worldwide.

The group was created by music producer Simon Cowell, who is well-known for his role as a judge on X-Factor.

The group is currently celebrating the release of their Greatest Hits collection.

Tickets for all festival shows to be held from now at the Bahrain National Theatre can be purchased at Virgin Megastore in Bahrain City Centre, while tickets for shows held at the Cultural Hall are free of charge.

Full details of the full slate of Spring of Culture events are available on http://www.springofculture.org.