A new one-day music festival has been announced for Aberdeen. Around 2000 people are expected to attend The Big Beach Ball 2012, to be held on May 6. The new festival, which will be staged in and around the city's Beach Ballroom, will feature international acts as well as Scottish bands and DJs.

Music director George Russell said: "People just need to have something new I think. Aberdeen's been looking for an event like this for ages. We're going to be using the ballroom which is pretty iconic for the city and really underused for this kind of thing. You don't really get anything on this scale outside of Glasgow I would say."

Acts already confirmed include Heartthrob, Scottish dance legends Slam and disco twosome Tiger & Woods. Local bands The Little Kicks and Fridge Magnets are also on the bill. The newly announced festival will be welcomed by revellers disappointed by the cancellation of the inaugural Northern Lights Festival last year. The two-day music event, planned for Aberdeen's Seaton Park last July, was cancelled four weeks before it was due to take place, because of poor ticket sales.

Scotland's newest music festival has been hailed as a success. Around 2000 revellers attended the inaugural Big Beach Ball event at Aberdeen's Beach Ballroom on Sunday. The 11-hour indoor and outdoor festival was headlined by a DJ set from Mercury Prize winners Friendly Fires. It also featured a range of Scottish acts including The Little Kicks, the Fridge Magnets and Minival.

Speaking at the festival, Steven Milne, of the Little Kicks, said: "I think the venue's really good. It's kitted out and it's very well suited. People are obviously having a really good time. If they can make it an annual event it's something for people to look forward to." Bandmate Scott Kelman said: "Now that it's established obviously next year it can be bigger and better. It's a good starting point."