Black Eyed Peas star Will.i.am has suggested that the band’s set at Brighton Pride will feature some surprise special guests.

The Grammy award-winning band, known for their hits Where Is The Love and I Gotta Feeling, will headline this year’s Pride festival in Preston Park.

The group is following in the footsteps of some of the biggest LGBTQ+ acts and allies, with recent acts including Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears and most recently Christina Aguilera.

Speaking to the Metro, Will.i.am teased that the band’s gig at the festival will feature “special guests”, but has not revealed who might be joining them on stage.

He said: “It’s going to be an amazing show, to crank up the festival party atmosphere. Look for a mix of our top global hits and some newer tracks from Translation and Evolution.

“Yes, we do love bringing on special guests, but if we told you then it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?”

It comes as the rapper confirmed a collaboration with Britney Spears for a new single, following her recent collaboration with Sir Elton John.

Britney, who has a memoir coming out in October, stunned crowds as the headline act at Brighton Pride in 2018.

Other major names being suggested include Anne-Marie, who is a fellow coach on The Voice, as well as Pussycat Dolls star Nichole Scherzinger, who is understood to be rehearsing in London for her West End show Sunset Boulevard.

The Pussycat Dolls had been due to perform at Brighton Pride in 2020, along with Mariah Carey and Bananarama, but the festival was cancelled due to the pandemic.

While the names of the special guests remain a mystery, many other acts have been confirmed for this year’s Pride celebrations in Preston Park.

Eurovision star Mae Muller and dance-pop group Steps will be joined by RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star The Vivienne, Zara Larsson, Jax Jones, Gok Wan and B*Witched over the weekend of festivities.

An estimated 500,000 people visit the city every year for Pride weekend, contributing around £30.5 million to Brighton’s economy.

Brighton Pride returns to the city on August 5.