Major Black Country music festival lined up for Sandwell Valley Country Park

Council chiefs are in discussions with a promotional firm involved with V Festival about bringing the show to Sandwell Valley Country Park.

Cabinet member for leisure Richard Marshall said up to 80,000 people could attend each day of the event, which is in the works following the success of this year's Let's Rock festival – an eighties music extravaganza featuring such names as Holly Johnson, Kim Wilde and Nick Heyward.

Talks are still in the early stages, but Councillor Marshall said the inaugural festival could be held next summer if all goes to plan.

He said: "I've said for years that Sandwell Valley is much better than Glastonbury.

"The potential we've got is enormous."

Councillor Marshall said the authority is 'in the very early stages' of discussing the project and still needs to come up with a business plan.

But talks have already started off in a positive vein, he added.

Councillor Marshall told the Express & Star: "This came about on the back of the Let's Rock festival which was really successful for us.

"We've been discussing with guys who do some of the stuff at V about using an area in Sandwell Valley as a permanent entertainment zone.

"They've been very positive and have been looking at Sandwell Valley for some time with envious eyes.

"It's looking very good, almost to the point where we could be looking at having the first one next summer."

He added: "We're thinking of a two or three-day event and are using their expertise.

"I've said for years that Sandwell Valley is much better than Glastonbury."

The event space could house up to 80,000 revellers at once, according to Councillor Marshall.

"It would be a proper sized festival pitch," Councillor Marshall said. "We'd be looking to chart toppers and A-listers.

"People absolutely loved Let's Rock and the turnout was great."

A busy line-up of stars from the 1980s took to the stage of the one-day retro Let's Rock festival in June in front of up to 7,000 fans. As well as the headlining performance by the former frontman of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, other acts included Five Star, Midge Ure and Tiffany.

Sandwell Council closed off access to more than 20 roads around the site while the festival took place