Great Live8 free for all

Hundreds of thousands more people will be able to enjoy the Live8 concert at Hyde Park.

Giant screens are being set up to relay the show to fans without tickets.

More than 150,000 fans are already set to squeeze into the fenced-off area in the park.

The new measures could mean more than half a million people will be able to see the concert on screens set up throughout the 350-acre park.

Bob Geldof, the man behind the series of concerts designed to highlight poverty in Africa, let slip the plans as he was awarded an honorary degree.

At the ceremony in Dublin he said: "I'm not supposed to talk about this but other people tell me there are arrangements to allow hundreds of thousands more into the park on the day."

The Evening Standard understands that three large screens will be set up alongside the Serpentine to accommodate those who missed out on the text message ticket lottery.

"There will be giant screens with PA systems in other parts of the park so families can enjoy the day," said a source.

It is understood that police have asked for the contingency set-up, based on previous experiences with large popular events such as the Queen's Jubilee concert-outside Buckingham Palace. As happened then, thousands of people are expected to descend on the site despite not having tickets, creating a possible safety and security risk if they crowd around the fenced-off area.

Screens are already due to be erected in Birmingham, Manchester and other locations to relay the 2 July concert around Britain.

More than two million text messages were sent as music fans scrambled to get the tickets available for the event, which will feature U2, Madonna, Joss Stone and Robbie Williams, among others. With one in 27 attempts being successful, dozens of tickets are now exchanging hands on the black market for as much as £1,000.

Geldof also announced that new concerts will take place in Tokyo, Toronto and Johannesburg, with details due to be confirmed tomorrow.

Geldof said: "Three weeks ago Europe agreed, unbelievably, to double aid, throwing the ball back to the Yanks, the Japanese and the Canadians.

"So that forced me now to do, which I didn't want to do, concerts in Tokyo and Toronto, which we are announcing tomorrow."

He added: "We will also announce Johannesburg tomorrow, which will be Live 8 Africa, which Mandela, if he is well enough, will bring to the world."

The other Live 8 concerts already confirmed are to take place in London, Paris, Philadelphia, Rome and Berlin, all on 2 July. The concerts are designed to coincide with the G8 summit of world leaders meeting at Gleneagles near Edinburgh.

In 1969 the Rolling Stones attracted 250,000 people for their free concert in the park. The gig was expected to attract 50,000 fans but police later estimated that 5 times that amount turned up.