US pop star Britney Spears will perform in a free concert in Mexico City on Sunday, an official said. The concert, which will start at 7 pm, will mark the start of the Christmas celebrations in Mexico City, Federal District Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said on social-networking sites.

Talks with Spears's representatives were given a push a few days ago by the Federal District's coordinator of Christmas events, Mario Carrillo, to get the pop star to perform in the capital.

Spears will perform Dec 1 in Guadalajara, the capital of the western state of Jalisco, December 3 in Mexico City and December 6 in Monterrey, the capital of the northern state of Nuevo Leon, on her Femme Fatale world tour.

Spears's seventh album, Femme Fatale, has sold more than 40,000 copies in Mexico, pushing it beyond Gold Record status.

Officials are looking to draw about 3 million domestic and foreign tourists to Mexico City this Christmas season.

Mexico City is offering visitors a wide range of events and activities, including a parade featuring different kinds of floats, ice skating on the Zocalo, the city's main plaza, and a 50-meter Christmas tree.