No World Cup, so how about Love Island for Leighton Buzzard's giant screen this year?

The ITV2 reality TV show is a guilty pleasure for millions of viewers across the UK, and sees single people move to a luxury Majorcan villa in the hope of finding love.

As the contestants pair up, the public decides who should be sent home, and mindful of the show’s popularity with a younger audience Leighton-Linslade Town Council is considering screening a popular TV show such as Love Island final next year.

A council report states: “Following the success of the Live Finals broadcast within Parsons Close in 2018, a suggestion has been made to officers to continue to show a live TV broadcast annually.

“The current events programme doesn’t cater for the 18-25 age group - unless as part of a family - therefore a live TV broadcast of a popular TV show final (eg Love Island) would reach this target demographic, showing a romantic comedy film prior to the live broadcast.”

The intiative would cost the council £2,000 each year.

The Cultural and Economic Services Committee has also considered a number of other suggestions to improve the events calendar.

The possible extension of the canal festival into a second day was been discounted, but hours in the Paddocks area will be extended for the event which will be held next year on Saturday, July 27.

A council report says: “A desire to extend the running of the canal festival into a second day has been feedback to offices and members for a number of years by various parties.

“Officers don’t believe we have an audience for a second day of the same event, however we can extend some sections of the event into the evening.

“The main stage, bar and catering operations within the Paddocks area can be extended until 8pm, with the rest of the festival running from 11am until 5pm. Additional live music will be played in the Paddocks alongside the bars and catering opportunities.”

As well as a later finish for staff on the Saturday, the council says extra resources will be needed to carry out a Sunday morning clear-up of the site on Sunday morning due to the later finish, and are budgeting £3,762 extra.

Should the 8pm trial in 2019 prove successful, it will continue for a further two years before it is looked at again.

The traditional Proms event will be moved from the Sunday prior to the August Bank Holiday weekend to tie in with the national Last Night of the Proms event which takes place in September.

For Proms in the Park 2019 on Saturday, September 14, the council intends to have live music from 6pm until 8.45pm before showing live converage of the BBC Last Night At The Proms on a giant screen until 10.30pm. Should the trial prove successful, the intention is to continue this for a further two years before it is reviewed again.

The council is also looking into developing a Living History trail, which would form part of any future Living History event.

The 2019 events programme is as follows:

Wednesday 24th April - Business Networking Event

Sunday 2nd June - Big Lunch Food Festival

Sunday 2nd June to Sunday 8th September - Band Concerts

Saturday 27th July - Canal Festival

Saturday 14th September - Last Night of the Proms

Saturday 5th October - Living History Day

Friday 29th November to Saturday 1st December - Christmas Festival Weekend