NEW SIMS GAME

Eight years after the release of the "Sims", which has already sold more than 100 million copies, a third edition hits stores February 20.

The new "Sims" from games giant Electronic Arts enables fans to wander out of the neighbourhood into the rest of the city.

JACKMAN TO HOST OSCARS

Australian actor Hugh Jackman will host the annual Oscar's ceremony, the Hollywood highlight of the year, at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles on February 22.

YVES ST LAURENT ART AUCTION
A half-billion-dollar art collection amassed over 50 years by late French fashion king Yves Saint Laurent and his companion Pierre Berge is to be auctioned in Paris from February 23 to 25.

The 700-strong treasure trove of oil paintings, furniture, statuettes, enamels and jewellery will be one of the biggest sales of recent years. The art includes works by Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse, Leger and a Mondrian that once belonged to film director Otto Preminger.

MARCH

OPERA

New York's Metropolitan Opera celebrates its 125th anniversary on March 15 with a gala concert starring Placido Domingo and other celebrities.

They will perform 26 scenes from operas in a way that recalls the Met's legendary performances over the decades.

DYLAN BACK ON THE ROAD

Bob Dylan starts a new tour of Europe on March 23 in Stockholm. Promoting a new album "Tell Tale Signs", the popular music legend will play about 30 concerts in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Britain and Ireland ending in Dublin on May 6.

SPEARS BACK ON TOP

Britney Spears, one of the pop icons of the last decade, kicks off her first world tour in five years March 3.

"The Circus" tour, with Pussycat Dolls as special guests, begins in New Orleans before playing across North America then going on to London in June.

MAY

STAR TREK'S NEW MISSION
The 11th episode in sci-fi epic "Star Trek" releases early May featuring the screen return of Spock, played by now 78-year-old Leonard Nimoy, after a 17-year absence.

The latest episode, from J.J. Abrams, author of "Lost" and "Cloverfield", also features TV series "Heroes" star Zachary Quinto.

JULY

BLUR BACK IN FOCUS

Blur, one of Britain's top 1990s bands, play their first concerts in a decade in London's Hyde Park on July 2 and 3.

Blur is made up of Damon Albarn, who went on to lead Gorillaz, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree.

POTTER ONE STEP CLOSER TO THE END

The film version of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", the penultimate of the boy magician's adventures, is to be released July 17. Expect queues.

SEPTEMBER

TATE GOES ROMANTIC
London's Tate Britain for the first time confronts 19th century romantic master and impressionist precursor William Turner with his peers - Monet, Canaletto, Poussin, Rubens, Rembrandt and Constable.

More than 100 works on show at "Turner and the masters", from September 23 to January 24, 2010.

DECEMBER

CAMERON BACK WITH 200 MILLION DOLLAR FILM

James Cameron, who directed the "Titanic" blockbuster, returns with "Avatar", a sci-fi movie starring Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldanas that was shot in 3D with a huge budget reported to be over 200 million dollars.

ANNIVERSARIES

CLASSICAL

Bicentenary of Joseph Haydn's death with a year-long festival in Eisenstadt, where he was court composer to the powerful Esterhazy family.

Throughout the year, all 107 of Haydn's symphonies and much of his chamber music will be played in the Esterhazy Palace and all 12 of his masses heard in the city's churches. Conductors include Riccardo Muti, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Ton Koopman and Colin Davis.

The homage wraps up with a new production of one of his operas, "Il mondo della luna", at Vienna's opera house in December.

POP
The mythical Motown label, founded 50 years ago by Berry Gordy, fetes the anniversary with archival releases, documentaries and special events at the Motown Historical Museum in Detroit.

From 1961 to 1971, Motown had 110 Top Ten hits, with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Four Tops, and The Jackson 5.

AFP/Expatica