The new head of the Brighton Festival wants the event to become a "badge of honour" for the city to rival its counterparts in Edinburgh and Manchester.

Andrew Comben, who has been appointed chief executive of Brighton Dome and Festival Limited (BDFL), is described as an exciting young talent in the arts world.

The 34-year-old will take charge of the Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and Pavilion Theatre and oversee the showpiece festival each May - which boosts the city's annual economy by £20 million.

Mr Comben said: "There is nothing more exciting than a city at festival time and I have a lot of ideas.

"It is early days but I want to play to the strengths of the festival, which I see particularly as the books and debates series. Speakers like Gore Vidal and Alan Johnson really fit in well with the political awareness of Brighton and Hove.

"I also want to do a lot of work with local artists throughout the year, building up to showcases during the festival. Brighton is a unique community with a vibrant arts scene and I want to tap into that.

"We will do more site-specific shows and make the festival a badge of honour the city can be proud of."

Mr Comben was educated in Australia and has worked in music and the arts in the UK for the last 14 years.

Beginning as a backstage usher, Mr Comben has enjoyed a fast rise through the ranks and joins BDFL from concert venue Wigmore Hall in London where he was head of artistic planning.

His appointment was a unanimous decision by the panel of trustees and the festival's main funders, Arts Council England and Brighton and Hove City Council.

Mr Comben added: "The Brighton Festival already punches above its weight, and has shown what can be achieved on a tight budget.

"It is invariably compared to festivals in Edinburgh and Manchester and I want Brighton to be every bit a match for those events.

"My interests in theatre, jazz, world music and dance fit really well with the ethos of the festival. It's an exciting time."

Mr Comben will join the organisation at the start of May in time to experience his first Brighton Festival before taking the reigns for next year.

Polly Toynbee, the chairman of BDFL said: "This is a difficult job and you have to combine an awful lot of skills to do it well. Andrew is held in the highest regard in the arts world and he comes with terrific recommendations.

"Having seen his initial thoughts for the 2009 festival we are confident and excited that this marks new horizons for us.

"He combines both artistic vision and the entrepreneurial skill to manage our three beautiful venues year round. It's a coup for Brighton to catch such an exciting young talent."

A packed festival programme has been announced for this year which will see 210 performances take place in 23 days.

Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker, film director Mike Leigh and children's laureate Michael Rosen are among the well-known names on the bill.

For more details visit www.brightonfestival.org or call 01273 709709.